“Great response” to Treats for our Troops campaign

Mike Penning MP has praised the “great response” for the Treats for our Troops campaign as 2 new collection points are announced.

Hemel Hempstead MP, Mike Penning, met with Leader of the Council Cllr Andrew Williams to thank the Council for allowing the Civic Centre to become a collection point for his ‘Treats for our Troops’ campaign.

‘Special Occasions’ in Kings Langley High Street has also become a collection point.

Local people are invited to make up a “shoe-box” parcel and deposit it at one of the collection points to be sent on to our troops in Afghanistan.

Mike Penning MP said:
“There has been a great response to the start of this campaign and I am absolutely delighted that the Borough Council has agreed to allow parcels to be dropped off at the Civic Centre.”

Cllr Andrew Williams, Leader of the Council, added:
“Many of us sit at home and watch the news reports on TV and feel helpless and wish there was some way we could show our brave servicemen and women and they really do have support from back home. Now we in Dacorum can do something and I am delighted that the Council can support this campaign by acting as a collection point.”

The Post Office does not accept parcels to our troops unless they are addressed to a named soldier. Mike has therefore arranged for parcels from local people to be addressed to a named serviceman or woman and then deposited in bulk directly to the BFPO at Mill Hill.

Mike is appealing to local organisations or individuals for help in advertising the campaign, donating suitable items for the ready-made parcels or to act as a collection point.

The packages must meet the following criteria
Max weight 2kg
Min One surface at least 90mm x 140mm
Max length + Depth + Width= 900mm, with greatest single dimension not more than 600mm.

The destination address should be left blank, but donors can add a ‘sender’ address on the back (and clearly marked “FROM”) if they wish. Similarly if they wish their parcel to go to a specific unit then that should be made clear on the parcel.

Packets should be deposited unsealed to ensure that there are no prohibited items included (such as aerosols or pornographic literature).

Parcels can be deposited at the following collection points (more points will become available in the near future):

• Mike’s office at 6th Floor, Hamilton House, Marlowes (opposite former Market Square), tel: 01442 450444.
• Hemel Hempstead Conservatives, Davidson House, 168 Queensway, 01442 255034.
• Dacorum Borough Council, Civic Centre, Hemel Hempstead *(new)
• Special Occasions, 19 High Street, Kings Langley *(new)