Wolverhampton schoolchildren join international appeal to ensure youngsters across the world get a gift for Christmas

The school children from Westacre Infant School in Finchfield packed a large number of shoeboxes with gifts, containing everything from toys to notebooks, a toothbrush and soap, for the appeal, which is being run by charity Samaritan’s Purse under the name Operation Christmas Child.

The collection at Westacre School was organised by Janice Wallbridge, who spoke about what the project was and where the shoeboxes were going to be delivered.

She said: "It's a project that has been around for a long time as part of a worldwide Christian charity and their aim is to encourage people to pack shoeboxes with gifts for children, which are then sent all over the world.

"For ours from Wolverhampton, they are usually sent over to Eastern Europe and wherever the need is, which includes Ukraine, as well having gone to Africa in the past.

"I've been involved in it for about 35 years, doing shoeboxes with my children, and I spoke to the school about doing it and they said they'd love the chance to get the children involved."

Ms Wallbridge said she had spoken at an assembly on Monday where the children had brought in their shoeboxes and said she felt it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to help others.

She said: "We have lots of boxes which are being collected, including 32 from our church, and they'll be sent to be processed at the centre in Coventry, then sent all over the world.

"I think it's just a wonderful opportunity for the children to give something back to a child as we all have so much and so it's nice to have the opportunity to give a child a gift at Christmas when they might not be expecting one.

"The boxes will have all sorts of simple gifts, such as a bar of soap, a toothbrush, a toy, pencils, note books and a range of other gifts that mean so much to the children who receive them.

"It really is wonderful and I think it reflects the spirit of Christmas."