IPSWICH: She has lifted the spirits of troops serving in Afghanistan after sending them nearly 7,500 shoe boxes – and she has no plans of stopping any time soon.

Now Sally Brame’s efforts have been recognised in the House of Lords.

Mrs Brame, of Fircroft Road, started sending the boxes full of goodies about three-and-a-half years ago after hearing about the soldiers’ conditions in the war-torn country.

Rather than just doing it for the Christmas period, the florist decided to continue sending the packages and has so far sent 7,450.

Among the grateful recipients was Major Tim Rogan, whose father is Lord Rogan, Honorary Colonel of 40 (Ulster) Signals Regiment and a member of the House of Lords.

When Lord Rogan heard about Mrs Brame’s valuable work, he tracked her down and invited her to Parliament to enjoy a special day out.

Mrs Brame said: “At first I thought I would send about 50 boxes but it has snowballed over the years.

“The sad thing is that three-and-a-half years down the line, they are as desperate now for stuff as they were then.”

The boxes contain plenty of useful items for the troops from baby wipes (as many of them are in places without running water), shampoo and food.

With the help of two others, including her partner Max Skene, Mrs Brame packs the boxes and admits it has become like a “full-time job”. But she has no intention of giving up.

The mother-of-two added: “Max and I would like to say a special thanks to Asda which allows us to carry out collections three or four times a year, and also to all those who already support us on a regular basis, bringing us goodies for the lads.

“Without these people we couldn’t send as many boxes as we do.”

Speaking about the recent deaths of six soldiers in Afghanistan, which pushed the numbers of British troops who have died in action there to 404, she said: “We all feel they should be home and any loss is too much. I feel while they are there, they still need support.”

Mrs Brame and Max enjoyed lunch at the House of Lords, took a tour and got to listen to a debate.

She said: “It was a wonderful day. I haven’t done any of this for recognition – my main aim was to help the soldiers.”

Lord Rogan said: “What Sally does contributes significantly to the morale of frontline troops.

“Sally has done a fantastic job and on behalf of troops serving on the front line. I would like to publicly thank her for her thoughtfulness and dedication to those who put themselves in harm’s way on behalf of the nation.”

n Have you done anything to help troops in Afghanistan? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or send an e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk