Shoeboxes of gifts delivered to needy children

An overwhelming umber of gift-filled shoeboxes for disadvantaged children were donated at Maidenhead United Reformed Church this year.

The annual Operation Christmas Child, coordinated from the West Street church, collected 7,385 shoeboxes from schools, churches, companies, individuals and community groups from Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead and Bracknell.

Area coordinator Janet McGregor described this year's campaign has been a 'resounding success'.

She said: "We would like to thank all those who have generously donated gift-filled shoeboxes and helped in other ways to make this year's campaign such a great success."

The group received nearly 600 boxes more than last year, when 6,800 were collected. Janet added: "This is an amazing achievement in view of the current financial climate."

The brightly-wrapped shoeboxes filled with toys, sweets, stationery and toiletries will be sent to needy children in Swaziland, Bosnia, Serbia, Romania and Ukraine. 

The last shoeboxes were loaded onto a truck headed for Ukraine on Wednesday last week.