Spending time with family achievable for more soldiers this Christmas

CHRISTMAS is a season built around reunions: extra chairs pulled round a table, the first cup of tea shared after a long journey home, reminiscing together in the pub with old friends.

- CATHERINE ATKINSON

These moments matter deeply - especially to families who spend more days apart than together.For many who serve in our Armed Forces, getting home for Christmas can be far from straightforward. Junior personnel are often posted far from where they grew up, and thousands haven't previously qualified for help with the cost of travel. It means some of the people who give the most to our country face real barriers of cost and distance just to see those they love.

This year, the Labour Government is changing that.

Support for up to 35,000 service personnel to help with the cost of travelling home is being introduced.

In the East Midlands, this means around 2,200 of our service men and women will be able to come home and share in those special moments with loved ones.

For a further 5,000 separated service mums and dads with nonresident children, travel credit is being provided to help them reunite with their children at a time of year when those moments matter most, especially for little ones.