KIND-HEARTED employees from Marks and Spencers showed their support for Troop Aid when they packed grab bags.
A team from Sears shopping retail park store spent a day putting t-shirts, shorts, toiletries, writing equipment, socks and underwear into bags ready to be handed to injured service personnel in UK hospitals.
Paul Cottrell from Sears Marks and Spencers said: “We’re really excited to be coming together and lending a hand to Troop Aid.
“Volunteering makes a profound difference to communities, and we believe that lots of small actions from lots of people, can have a lasting impact on society and help improve lives.”
The ongoing relationship between M&S and Troop Aid started three years ago, when the store championed the organisation as its Charity of the Year, raising £7,955 for them over 12 months.
Since then, several members of staff have given up their free time to volunteer with the charity, helping pack grab bags and managing volunteers at important events for the charity such as the Troop Aid Annual Ball.
Pam Sutton, CEO of Troop Aid: “We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship between the team at M&S and Troop Aid, with several members of staff now volunteering in their own time to support us.
“We are extremely delighted to have been chosen again in 2018/19 as their charity of the year and for the volunteer support offered at our warehouse for the grab bag pack this week.”
Troop Aid was founded by three former servicemen, who had discovered that troops returning to the UK from war zones were often coming home without their personal belongings or clothing.
The Solihull-based charity aims to ensure the provision of the ‘basic essentials’ to service casualties that are admitted to hospital when they are serving their country.
The organisation has provided over 13,000 grab bags to injured service personnel in the 12 years it has been in operation. Reaching military hospitals across the world, Troop Aid sends its packages to UK Military Hospital Units in Cyprus, Canada, Kenya, Brunei, Nepal, Oman and Somalia plus all Ministry of Defence Hospital Units throughout the UK.
