uk4u Thanks!

What we do

uk4u Thanks! is a registered charity which provides Christmas boxes full of presents (affectionately known as the 'square stocking') as a gift from the nation to all those serving in the UK Armed Forces overseas away from their families and loved ones on Christmas Day.

For Christmas 2010, thanks entirely to generous donations from members of the public and our sponsors, uk4u Thanks! will be sending 22,500 Christmas gift boxes to UK Armed Forces personnel on duty overseas or in hospital over the Christmas period because they have been injured on operations.

The charity does not receive any public funds, but the Ministry of Defence (MOD) supports the charity with advice and guidance on the number of boxes required and the contents. It also assists with the massive logistic operation it takes to deliver the boxes in time for Christmas Day.

We ensure that all Servicemen and women who are serving away at Christmas receive a box, whether they are in the Royal Navy, Army or the Royal Air Force, and wherever they are in the world.

The initiative was inspired by the 1914 Christmas Gift Fund, established by Princess Mary, the daughter of King George V. You can find out more about the first Christmas box here. The Duke of Westminster is Patron of our charity.

The MOD helps us by sending the boxes in any transport going out to operational theatres which has spare irreducible capacity.

Supporting UK Armed Forces!

The intention is that the Christmas boxes are sent only for UK Armed Forces, the MOD civil servants and defence contractors supporting them in theatre, serving away from their families and loved ones at Christmas. However, on Christmas Day, when the boxes are distributed, it is possible that there will be a small number of personnel from other countries attached to our UK troops, and sometimes civilians who are supporting very important work on the British base.

This means that these people will be sitting down to eat Christmas lunch with the UK Armed Forces, and it would seem unfair, in fact churlish, if we discriminated and say they are not entitled to a box while giving a box to everyone else at the table at lunch time. We ask recipients of the box to send us photographs on operations, therefore you may see photographs and/or comments on this website which include people who are not UK Servicemen and women.

uk4u Thanks! needs more sponsors!

Sponsors will enable this very welcome gift to continue to be delivered to our Servicemen and women year after year. The charity welcomes your support so please make a donation.

Please note that unfortunately the charity is unable to send boxes on behalf of other people.