Ashington being asked to replicate last year's charity

Posted by Richard Fletcher on Oct 3, 08 01:53 PM in News

Kind-hearted people in Ashington are being asked to dig deep again and support an annual campaign to bring joy to needy children at Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child - now in its 19th year - collects gift-filled shoeboxes to distribute to deprived youngsters in Eastern Europe and Africa.

Last year it delivered 1.3 million boxes from the UK, with groups and individuals in Wooler, the Tyne Valley, Morpeth, Hexham, Cramlington, Blyth, Berwick, Ashington and Alnwick playing their part.

The gift-filled boxes were checked at the charity's warehouses being transported to Belarus, Romania and Serbia.

Operation Christmas Child North East manager, Keith Gibbons, said yesterday: "Many schools, community organisations, churches, businesses and individuals throughout Northumberland took part last year.

"They donated 9,400 shoeboxes full of presents, which meant so much to the children who received them. Our aim is to keep this terrific effort going in 2008."

Schools, churches, companies, organisations and individuals who want to support Operation Christmas Child are urged to contact the charity via its website or helpline, and they will receive instructions explaining what to do.

Information is available at www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk or on 0870 011 2002.

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