Hello Metropolis viewers, today we have an incredible story, a story about a retired
couple from the UK who, out of the generosity of their own hearts, send thousands of care
packages to the men and women fighting in war-torn countries.
This is the story of a unique and generous couple.
Some might even say they are local heroes.
For the past five years, Mo and Joe have been sending care packages from their home
in Curry Rival.
To date, they have sent well over 8,000 parcels.
This is the operation room.
The boys in the marines have christened it the BFPO 15.
This is where all the gifts come from.
Mo puts all the parcels, gets all the parcels ready, and this is where he does all the tag-in
and everything for the boxes to go.
We put in goodies that they don't get out there and it's mainly things that they love
to have like sweets, biscuits, little luxury things like nice toothpaste, shampoos, baby
wipes which is very needed because they go out in the desert and they get sand, they
don't get any water and things like that so that they know they're not going to be missed
when they're in the desert, they're still people, they're still thinking of them.
While Mo assembles the packages, Joe spends her time across the hall writing personal
letters to the troops.
I say to them in the letters, you know, if there's anything that you want, just let
us know.
And lots of things, you know, would you send along like a blonde, which we can't, you know.
And we get wonderful letters back from all of the boys and girls out there, really appreciative
of everything that we do.
And that's what it's all about, bringing a smile to a soldier's sailor's or airman's
face to know that the people in the UK are supporting them.
Dear Mo and Joe.
First of all, thank you very much for the parcel and lovely letter which you have sent
us.
It really made our morale high and we are determined to do our duties.
Now I also have a personal feeling that both of you are our parents, guardians and friends
who are supporting us in a tough time.
Your support made our life better and we are delighted to receive fantastic packets.
Thank you.
Kalabda.
Goram.
The couple are extremely dedicated.
They spend £17 per week just on ink, as Joe spends between 4 to 5 hours every day writing
letters.
Meanwhile, Mo drives on average 600 miles per week posting parcels and collecting goods
from fellow volunteers.
I don't do anything else, let me go, and this is it, every day's parcel day.
We love the excitement of doing it, because there is an element of excitement in saying
OK, that's another six parcels.
Mo is currently posting his latest set of packages at his local post office.
Mo comes into our post office on a regular basis with parcels for the forces and really
sends about 20 parcels at a time and makes a huge difference to the troops that are over
fighting for us.
I think it's really, really good, without him I'm sure that they wouldn't get the parcels
that they get and it makes a huge difference to them.
That's it, that's the last one.
That's brilliant.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
The work that Mo and Joe do has been recognised by many people and they have received many
accolades for their charitable labours, including letters from Prince Charles and the Queen.
However, recently they received an email that now puts what they do under threat.
This is an email that I received on the 20th of April 2011 from a pardry of three commandos,
Royal Marines.
Dear Mo and Joe, I write to you on behalf of the Commanding Officer 45 Commander Group
Royal Marines in response to your kind offer of support for our lads and lusses in theatre.
The work which you have done in the past for three Commander Brigade Royal Marines has
been fantastic and we're all very grateful to you both for it.
We have been instructed by HQ three Commander Brigade Royal Marine to turn down any further
kind offers of welfare support due to the logistical burden which is placed on the system.
This was a decision made above our heads.
My reaction was and Mo's was actually discussed.
It's an insult to our boys and our girls out there because I think it's terrible because
these boys and girls rely on these parcels coming to them.
The MOD have said to us that we should not send parcels out there because it endangers
our boys and girls' lives because they haven't sufficient helicopters so I told them to get
some more.
We said they didn't like.
We will not stop.
We won't stop.
It doesn't matter if they come knocking on the door and tell us to stop.
We won't stop.
The Marines and I determined as with a lot of people that contribute that they want to
make sure that our boys are getting their comforts out there, it's important.
Despite the news, Mo and Jo plan on continuing to send packages and their local supporters
are still willing to keep giving donations to help aid their efforts.
These boys have taken an oath, when they take that oath they've written a blank check and
they're ready to fill that in with their lives and lots of them do.
We've lost a lot of boys and a few girls.
We don't want this to continue, we really don't.
But we have the politicians that tell us that their boys have got to be out there and Mo
and I just hoping that one day the boys will come back on the girls.
Just because the MOD have told us, we'll never stop, never, not unless we go to further
pastures, Morris and I.
And when the last boy in Afghanistan or girl is standing, getting on that plane and coming
back to this country, no way, they won't stop us, they won't.
