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Social clubs sends festive cheer to soldiers
A COMMUNITY has united to bring Christmas cheer to our troops in Afghanistan.
The Simonside Social Club in Winskell Road, South Shields, has for a second time played host to an appeal to send boxes of gifts to servicemen and women in the war-torn country.
And there has once again been an overwhelming response from club regulars, businesses and local schools.
Campaign organiser Tony Brown again teamed up with the Support Our Soldiers (SOS) charity to transport the boxes overseas.
Joyce Walker, of SOS, said: "The club and people of the local community have once more come up trumps. It is a tremendous effort.
"These gifts really do make Christmas extra special for our troops.
"Just the knowledge that people back home are thinking of them is a real boost to their morale."
Mr Brown has spent much of his spare time in recent weeks co-ordinating the campaign and writing letters cajoling others to support the effort.
He said: "I would like to thank all the people that made this appeal so successful with bountiful gifts for our troops in Afghanistan."
Among the donations are Santa hats, selection boxes, Christmas puddings, sweets, chewing gum, underwear, socks, and nuts and raisins.
Children from Simonside Primary School and Monkton Junior School also got in on the effort, with many of the pupils also sending Christmas cards to the troops.
Mr Brown, who has announced he is hanging up his fundraising boots after this year's effort, also passed on his thanks to Simonside Social Club regulars for their generosity, club secretary Keith Mensforth for the use of the club, Tesco's Caroline Roberts, Barbour, the Saft factory, Paul Gibson, security staff at Sunderland AFC, and club chairman Niall Quinn, who donated a signed photograph.
He added: "Thank you all and God bless you all."
To find out more about the SOS campaign, contact joyce@supportoursoldiers.co.uk.
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Weather for South Shields
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
