Dorset charity creates Christmas care boxes for military children

A charity has prepared 2,500 Christmas care packages for the children of military personnel.

Little Troopers in Dorset, took eight hours to create the gifts for young people across the UK whose parents have been deployed overseas.

The Christmas Smiles Boxes were made by a team of 70 volunteers at the Bovington Memorial Hall.

Little Troopers founder Louise Fetigan said: "We wanted to spread as much smiles as possible.

"I'm from a military family, my husband served away over Christmas and it can be really difficult, especially for a child."

She added: "There's a real noticeable void at the Christmas play, at the nativity at the carol concert.

"And having someone away over Christmas Day is really hard and it's not guaranteed that the child will be able to speak to their parent."

The volunteers included soldiers from Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment, students from Bovington Academy and people from the local community.

Each box contained craft activities, affirmation cards, postcards, poems and "Christmas goodies".

Last year the team sent toy bears to military children.

Mrs Fetigan said: "We really wanted to make sure that it was a useful gift that we were giving the children.

"We really felt that the boxes were a way to give them real tangible resources to support that deployment but also some Christmas joy as well.

"Loads of love is going into these boxes so we really hope they help the thousands of children that need them."

The Little Troopers Christmas Smiles boxes has also received funds from the Veterans' Foundation, Pinnacle Service Families', RUK Advanced Systems and Day One People.

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