Postal Injustice Campaign

Folk in the Armed Forces and their families are some of our favourite customers. We try to bridge those miles with a shopping service and gifts you can send to and from the UK and for all occasions. We started a campaign this year to try and persuade the Government to reinstate the free BFPO packet service to frontline troops in Iraq – this is what the Press had to say.

In fact despatchboxes.com was just under way before the cuts in the free packet service, but that really made us see red!

DON'T FORGET THE ARMED FORCES. THEY NEED THEIR HOME COMFORTS.

SISTERS' MISSION TO DELIVER PARCEL CHEER

Two sisters who were outraged when free parcel post to Iraq was stopped have started their own business sending home comforts to Brits serving in the armed forces abroad.

Diana Petrie from Prinknash Corner in Cranham and her sister Lorna Conway of Burcombe Road , Chalford Hill, are from a forces family.

They set up www.despatchboxes.com an Internet shopping site, to help families of people serving abroad, after the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) withdrew the free service for packages under 2 kg to be sent to troops overseas.

Diana said ‘There seem to be so many things hammering down the armed forces at the moment; it seems as though everyone is against them.

“These people have to stay in appalling conditions, particularly in the desert where sometimes they can only shower every two days under a tin bucket, and are separated from their families.

“Quite often the only thing which keeps them going is their parcels from home."

Diana's husband, grandfather's parents and siblings have all served in the forces which is why she feels so strongly about making a difference to the current situation.

“Morale is low at the moment because of the recent huge defence cuts and this is yet another disappointment” she said.

The new internet service helps families send a range of parcels to their loved ones who serve with the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Army, and Royal Air Force.

Diana said "It is not necessarily the sophisticated things people want – sometimes they need basic things like nappy cream or a certain type of shampoo.

“But in the desert it is like an oven and it crisps you, even the wind is dry and it's grimy.

“Sand gets everywhere and your feet crack so quite often we send people foot creams.”

As well as helping families of people serving in the forces overseas the service also caters for expats living in a variety of countries.

To send a parcel of under 2kgs via www.despatchboxes.com costs £6.55 in postage.

The parcel will get next day delivery to London where it will be sent on to its destination.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN FOR FREE BFPO PARCELS THIS CHRISTMAS

You may have seen us on TV or in the Press. We have brought our campaign for free BFPO parcels all year  to Tony Blair and the Secretary of State for Defence, even free parcels at Christmas would be a help for families!

ITV Carlton
28th July 2004

We were also invited to appear on the ITV Carlton 6pm News on 28th July 2004 and we were able to explain how strongly we felt about the cuts to the Postal Service

We also wrote to the Prime Minister and the Secretary for Defence, Geoff Hoon – we feel that so much money has been wasted on such enterprises as the Millennium Dome – when the money could have been better spent on our troops and their equipment.

The letter in reply from the Prime Minister's office, passed the buck to the Ministry of Defence and the reply from the Ministry of Defence told us there were more important things to spend money on.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire
27th July

We were invited on to BBC Radio Gloucestershire Breakfast show on 27th July to give our views. We know the sacrifices our men and women make in the frontline and the difficulties for the families and loved family members at home.

We have all seen the Prime Minister's wife in tears, on television, at the thought of her son going to Bristol University (2 hours all the way down the M4 from London ), when sons and daughters of the same age are serving in combat zones many thousands of miles from home, in a hostile climate and under enemy fire.

Whilst nobody doubts that of course you miss a son or daughter at University there is no comparison between a student flat and a tent in the desert, or a bunk in a messdeck.