SIR,

The year 2012 marked the 44th Anniversary of the distribution of Christmas Parcels to the community in and around Monmouth by our local charities, namely The Royal British Legion (Monmouth Branch 26 parcels), Monmouth Rotary Club (27 parcels), Monmouth Lions (25 parcels) and the Loyal Monmouth Lodge (26 parcels). The total number of parcels was 104, at a cost of £23.92 per parcel.

I would like once again to record the valiant effort that our town charities have made in the fierce face of austerity, to continue unabated the most valuable and much needed Christmas Parcel project for 2012. The effort made by these charities resulted in an increase on last year's total by 6 parcels. Such an effort in the face of ever increasing financial constraints needs to be recognised and applauded by all of us. It indeed makes me, as I have said before, very proud to belong to a community such as this which has charities that are so proactive and a community so ready to support them at their collection times.

It would be very remiss of me if I did not pay a very special tribute to the local Waitrose Manager Ms. Caroline Sullivan, who arranges for her staff to assist me in the identification of food items which are within our financial range. My special gratitude goes to her Assistant Manager, Mr. Ed Holt, in this respect and for his advice to me during the purchase of the food items and ready assistance to organise the venue for us to assemble the Christmas Parcels in the store. Needless to say, it resulted in a wonderful communal effort by the members of the charities who were present that night to assemble the Christmas Parcels.

Dr. M. S. Matharu. O.B.E

Monmouth