A man has begun sending comfort packages out to serving soldiers in Afghanistan after reading a Croydon Guardian article.

Neal O’Gorman, a former Croydon Green Champion, read the article from June asking for residents in the borough to start sending care packages to soldiers serving in a country that has claimed the lives of 19 troops this month.

With the help of his partner, Kim Butcher and son Sam Butcher, Mr O’Gorman runs a group that helps small charities in the Shirley area.

Mr O’Gorman said: “After seeing your article in the Croydon Guardian, I decided to use my contacts to send some care packs to the soldiers.

“I formed a new group called the Shirley Band of Friends and due to the economic climate asked all my friends and contacts to give me £1 so that we could make up the packs.

“My partner Kim contacted Clarkes shoe shop in West Wickham, and asked them to save us some shoe boxes and as a result the manager and staff have now decided to make up and send their own boxes.

“Although some people may not agree with the war in Afghanistan, the soldiers have been sent by our elected representatives and we need to do every thing we can to support them.

A batch of boxes has already been sent and money and items are still being collected by Mr O’Gorman who hopes to send out another batch in the coming weeks.

One of the most recent casualties was Rifleman Danny Simpson from Shirley. The 20-year-old died while on a routine foot patrol near the town of Sangin in northern Helmand Province.

The adoring father was being carried to safety by another Rifleman, Joseph Murphy when an explosion killed them instantly.

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