Imagine Christmas Day with no presents to open. Well, that is the plight of many in Eastern Europe. Many of them don’t know anything different, until they receive their first Operation Christmas Child shoebox of goodies – and then the joy and delight is wonderful to see. Somebody cares. Somebody is thinking of them.

For the cost of filling a shoebox with goodies, and a payment of £2.50 to cover the transport, you could make a child’s Christmas. There are information packs in the local schools, churches and children’s groups.

The filled boxes can be brought to church, and then they’ll make their way to where they’re needed. But hurry – the boxes need to be collected together by the 1st November so that they can get to Eastern Europe in time for Christmas.