We have awarded them to individuals, to groups and to businesses, now we are handing a Punchline Business and Community Award to an entire country - and one city in particular.

And it strengthens links between Gloucestershire and South Korea which go back almost seven decades.

The city of Paju is donating 1,000 sets of personal protection equipment to the people of Gloucestershire.

A group organised by the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum and the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire had been due to attend the annual memorial service of the the Battle of the Imjin River earlier this month.

The event at Gloster Hill, which would have marked the 69th anniversary of the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment's heroic stand, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the mayor and city council of Paju have made the gesture to o provide help to us 'a friend in need'.

Museum chairman of trustees Chris Ryland said: "The few veterans of the battle are now in their 80s and 90s and are part of the generation most at risk from COVID-19.

"This most welcome gift is honouring them and in consequence it is intended that some of the PPE will be distributed among the care homes for the elderly throughout the county."

The Battle of the Imjin River took place from April 22-25, 1951, with soldiers from the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment holding out for three days against three Chinese divisions, despite being outnumbered 10 to one.

Honourable Company of Gloucestershire warden Helen Lovatt said: "I am delighted that the hard-pressed teams within the NHS delivering health and social care will be benefiting from this extraordinary gesture of goodwill from the city of Paju.

"The Honourable Company strives to help the county in any way it can and this is a wonderful example of that at work."

Send Punchline your inspiring stories - you don't have to write them, just tell us about them and we will do the rest. Email beth@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk 

Punchline's Business and Community Champion Awards are sponsored by:

GFirst LEP

https://www.gfirstlep.com

info@gfirstlep.com 

The Growth Hub Gloucestershire

https://www.thegrowthhub.biz

talktous@thegrowthhub.biz 

Gloucestershire County Council

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk 

customerservices@gloucestershire.gov.uk 

Gloucestershire OPCC

https://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk 

01452 754348