Nearly £200 was raised at a coffee morning to support soldiers.

St Mary's Church in Maryport hosted the coffee morning last Friday to raise money and awareness for Support our Soldiers, which has just launched its Christmas campaign.

Cumbria organiser, Ryan Winthrop  of Maryport, said he was delighted with the result. 

He said while many troops had been withdrawn from Afghanistan there were still some soldiers there. 

He said: "We still have a lot of military serving overseas on ships and in places like Afghanistan and the Falklands, so there is still a need for the boxes we send out."

Children at the town's Our Lady and St Patrick's School collected for soldiers' boxes and have received replies from some of the recipients expressing their pleasure and thanks.

Mr Winthrop said he intends to send out around 500 boxes this year.

He added: "We never send in December to make way for families. Our boxes go out in November so we would like to have them collected by the end of October."

He said items needed included toothpaste, deodorants, pot noodles, sweets, tinsel, Christmas nick knacks and even small Christmas puddings.

Aerosol cans are not permitted.

The idea is to fill a shoe box. While cash donations are welcomed, Mr Ryan said it was preferable for people to either fill a box or donate suitable items for boxes.

All donations can be left in Co-Op Funeral Services throughout the county.