BRITISH troops may have pulled out of Afghanistan, but for some the war will never be over. Although surgeons performed miracles to save lives, more than 6,000 UK personnel were aeromedically evacuated from the country on medical grounds.

Some will never fully recover, which is one of the reasons we decided upon a stained glass window at All Saints’ Church in Pavement, to recognise the service of thousands of York men and women in Afghanistan over the past decade – including three servicemen who were killed in action.

The target set was £17,000 because we wanted something their families would be proud of; something that would be an appropriate memory.

At first we wondered whether it was achievable, but now our appeal has raced past its target after a generous response from guests attending this newspaper’s business awards ceremony.

With the money in place, Helen Whittaker, creative director of Barley Studios, in Dunnington, is now set to turn plans into reality. Helen is one of Britain’s top stained glass artists, whose other workshave included a window in the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

The window will honour allthis city’s sons and daughters who answered the call of duty in Afghanistan. We thank everyone who gave so generously to make it happen.