The Kent Messenger has played a major role in helping thousands of people welcome home troops returning from Afghanistan.

Maidstone’s 36 Engineer Regiment, based at the town’s Invicta Park Barracks, has just returned from a six-month stint in Helmand Province.

Thousands of people packed the town for a welcome home parade and many were waving one of the 1,200 flags given away by the Kent Messenger.

The souvenir flags were based on the Union Jack and bore a welcome home message for the troops.

The paper has been following the regiment’s progress for several months, including preparations in the run-up to the trip, action from Helmand Province and messages both to and from families back home.

It also arranged for copies of the Kent Messenger to be sent out to Helmand Province so soldiers could keep in touch with what was going on back in Maidstone.

As soon as a date for the regiment’s homecoming was confirmed, the Kent Messenger began urging readers to turn out for the parade.

Youngsters were invited to paint their own welcome home posters and many were printed in the paper or plastered across the windows of the newspaper office.

On the day itself, staff spent the morning going in and out of shops along the route, giving away flags and encouraging more people to line the route. Hundreds of distinctive yellow Kent Messenger balloons were also given away.

Senior editor Bob Bounds said: “The parade was fantastic and showed our troops how proud of them we are.

“It was wonderful to see so many people in town and as a newspaper, we felt proud to play our part at the heart of the community.”

Comments

David Powell – Ashford Advertiser (19/04/2008 20:04:10)
Well done Bob – the lads out there need to know the country’s behind them. – David