Oxfordshire children whose parents are serving overseas in the military this Christmas have been sent Christmas boxes.
The charity, Little Troopers, delivered the boxes to bring a bit of festive cheer to the young ones whose parents can't be home for the holidays.
Thousands of children across the UK will have to endure the festive season without one of their parents due to them serving abroad.
The joy of school nativities, carol services, family get-togethers, and the magic of Christmas morning will be missed by the parents overseas.
The Little Troopers Christmas boxes are part of a larger initiative called the Christmas Smiles campaign, aiming to brighten the holidays for these children.
In ensuring that the boxes reach the most needed families, the charity worked closely with RAF Brize Norton, RAF Benson, and seven Regiment RLC in Abingdon.
Jessica Price, community development officer at RAF Brize Norton said: "A huge thank you to the wonderful Little Troopers for always going above and beyond to support children of military personnel.
"We're very proud at RAF Brize Norton to work closely with this vital charity whose resources are the perfect addition to our deployment packs throughout the year."
"Deployments take their toll on children big and small and the festive period is a particularly challenging time to be missing your Mum and Dad whilst they’re doing important work across the globe.”
Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, said: "Christmas Smiles is a campaign we've been running for years to support children who have a parent deployed over Christmas.
"It’s a really hard time of year to be separated from a parent and our aim is to make these children feel special and supported.
“We’re so excited to be putting together our own Christmas boxes this year and we hope they make a real difference to military children in Oxfordshire."
Funding for the Christmas Smiles boxes came from the Veterans’ Foundation, Pinnacle Service Families, RUK Advanced Systems, and Day One People.
JDT Utilities helped to transport the boxes.
David Shaw, CEO of the Veterans’ Foundation, said: "We are delighted to support this fabulous initiative which will bring smiles and happiness to military children this Christmas."
In addition to the Christmas boxes, Little Troopers has put together other activities as part of its Christmas Smiles campaign.
These include free cinema screenings, an online party, and a Christmas baking event.
For more information visit the Little Troopers website.
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