A WORCESTERSHIRE firm is donating 30,000 multi-vitamin pills to British service personnel in Afghanistan.

Nature’s Own, of Hanley Swan, near Malvern, manufactures health food supplements, vitamins and minerals. It is taking part in Operation Yuletide 2009 which sends out hard-to-get luxuries and necessities to soldiers and airmen.

David Barrie, of Nature’s Own, said: “Operation Yuletide was founded by Ann Cook from Cranbrook, Kent, whose son is in Afghanistan. Her son told her that the soldiers over there want multi-vitamins to keep them healthy, so she went into a shop in Maidstone – one of our customers – and that’s how she got in touch with us.”

After finding out about her effort, the firm agreed to help out by supplying the multivitamins. Mr Barrie said: “It’s a great privilege to be part of this and in our own little way to be helping the troops.

“It’s the least we can do considering all the hardships that they have to put up with over there, everything from the awful weather to the actual fighting.”

Mrs Cook said: “When David contacted me with his offer, I was speechless. His kindness meant the money we’d earmarked can now be used to buy something else for the soldiers, a DVD projector, which is something else they desperately want.”

Nature’s Own, which is based at Hanley Workshops, was founded in 1980 in Cheltenham, moving in 1982. It employs about 30 people.