Soldier Sean wants a cool tie for frontline

May 28 2008 By Ian Russell

MILITARY mum Mary Anne Chambers is appealing to local people to ‘sew for our soldiers’ in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The unusual plea to boost the ‘war effort’ might even seem a bit bizarre to some — it involves making cool ties!

And that’s ‘cool’ in the low temperature, not fashion, sense.

Mary Anne, from Wellpark, Kilmarnock is East Ayrshire area co-ordinator for the Support Our Soldiers charity. Her son Sean is a lance corporal currently serving as a paratrooper in Afghanistan and he has already distributed some of the special ties sent across from Ayrshire.

The ties are basically a strip of cotton with three channels containing non-toxic polymer crystals which swell when soaked in cold water and, when worn, help to reduce the core body temperature in extreme heat conditions such as the troops are experiencing in Afghanistan and Iraq. The added benefit is that they can be used over and over again.

“Keep them coming,” is the message from Sean, 24.

Mum Mary Anne says if any Standard reader owns a sewing machine then they too can help by making a few ties to be included in the care packages sent to our troops by the SOS charity.

Says Mary Anne: “This is a project which can involve whole communities, social groups, church and youth organisations, schools etc and at very little cost. The list is truly endless and the task is small.”

If you would like to be a part of the project then please contact Mary Anne via the contacts page on the charity’s website www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk, where you will also find downloadable step-by-step instructions on how to make the ‘cool’ ties.

Support Our Soldiers recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and those behind it are keen to widen the net of support and fundraising for troops.

Next week (June 2-8) has been designated SOS Awareness Week with various activities planned throughout the UK.

One of these is a special sponsored swim by Sean’s dad, Mary Anne’s husband Robert, in the Galleon centre in Kilmarnock on Monday.

Robert is still seeking sponsors for the mile-long event via maryanne@supportoursoldiers.co.uk

There is also currently a trolley collection at Asda in Kilmarnock where shoppers are invited to donate items for the troop parcels.

It is also hoped to hold street collections in Kilmarnock and Ayr during next week.

If anyone wishes to hold an event during the awareness week they should contact Mary Anne via the website or on 01563 534693.

Since 2003 SOS has sent in the region of 23,000 parcels to our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women on operations, via the Freepost facility, comprising donations from the public and business sector. The most recent local ‘pack and wrap’ night resulted in a further 95 parcels heading the troops’ way.