Christmas Gift in Remembrance of Fallen Anglians

North Norfolk District Council's Chairman will be foregoing the tradition of sending civic Christmas cards this year, deciding instead to give a donation towards a permanent memorial to members of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, who lost their lives in Afghanistan.

Councillor Barbara McGoun decided to follow the example set by her counterpart at South Norfolk District Council, and contribute to the fund which aims to raise £100,000 to help rehabilitate injured soldiers, as well as providing a memorial in East Anglia to those men of the 1st Battalion - known as the Vikings - who have died while on operations against the Taliban in Helmand province.

The last of the Vikings, who are recruited from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, returned home last week after a six-month tour of duty in which nine men were killed and some 50 more suffered battle injuries.

Each year, North Norfolk District Council's Chairman sends out around 100 'official' Christmas cards, and by not doing so this year, the Council is able to pledge £200 towards the appeal.

Councillor McGoun said: "It is too easy to lose sight of the important things in community life when we are in the midst of preparing for Christmas, and what could be more important at this time than joining with others to donate to the appeal in remembrance of those soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment who died in the conflict in Helmand recently, and to help rehabilitate those who sustained injuries in the campaign."

• For information about how to make a donation, visit:
  www.army.mod.uk/royalanglian/vikings/memorial_fund.htm

ENDS