Frew seeks support for troops' Care Box campaign

NORTH ANTRIM MLA and Ballymena Borough Councillor Paul Frew has once again praised the soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment who are due to deploy to Afghanistan in the autumn and issued an appeal to local people to show their own support for the RIR which is the only Irish Infantry Regiment of the line.

The 1st Battalion is currently based in Turn Hill and the 2nd Battalion (TA) is based in Portadown with Companies located across the Province including Ballymena.

Mr Frew pointed out that a campaign is runnig to provide soldiers with ‘care boxes’ which include items like chocolate, tooth brushes, tooth paste, headache tablets, shower gel, roll on deodorants, pasta, noodles, chewing gum, and much more.

He said: “These are items that we take for granted. If you can help provide some of these items even in a small way, with a small amount, as it all builds up, we hope to collect over 600 boxes”.

He added that a charity night is being held in Ballymena Services Club on August 7 from 8pm til late to raise funds for the care box campaign and that everyone is welcome to attend.

Mr Frew said: “I’m very proud of the Royal Irish and everything they stand for, everything they have acheived, everything they have been through.

“Antecedant Regiments have always played a very important role in the world’s affairs, for over 300 years from Waterloo, the Indian Mutiny and the Boar War to the battles of the Somme , Dunkirk, Normany and Korea, and more recently on ops in Bosnia, Kososo, Sierra Leone, the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The Regiment has a proud and distinguished record of service and was recently awarded The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross by Her Majesty the Queen for its commitment to Northern Ireland.

“The young soldiers of the Royal Irish need all the support they can get and im pleased with the support from the public over the last number of years with regards home coming parades and support but we can all do more in a practical sense. The soldiers out there like the rest of us enjoy their comforts when they get them,” he said.

Anyone who feels they could help with the Care Box campaign can contact Heather on 07738419431.