Christmas in a box (From Chard & Ilminster News)

Christmas in a box

9:30am Saturday 20th December 2008 in Chard

FESTIVE cheer is on the way to children in some of the poorer parts of Europe thanks to people in the Chard and Ilminster area who have contributed to the Operation Christmas Child appeal.

Peter and Pam Pike co-ordinated the annual shoebox appeal locally and, despite the pressures of the credit crunch, were overwhelmed at people’s generosity.

Two lorries arrived at the project’s warehouse in Dowlish Ford last week to take away 12,822 shoeboxes containing gifts and toys for youngsters in Eastern Europe.

Pam said: “We have to say a huge thank-you to our team of volunteers who handled, checked and packed the thousands of shoeboxes into 903 giant cartons.”

Some 9,201 shoeboxes were destined for Kosova and the other 3,621 for Romania.

Personnel from RNAS Yeovilton, led by CPO Martin White, who lives in Ilminster, helped the volunteers load the wagons last Tuesday.

Pam said: “I don’t know what we’d have done without the help once again of the lovely lads from Yeovilton.”

It took just a few hours for all the cartons of shoeboxes to be loaded onto the lorries – thanks to the efforts of forklift driver Mark Bellew, who works for the Dillington Estate.

Pam added: “We’d obviously like to thank everyone who has donated a shoebox filled with presents – your kind support will bring smiles to needy children in Kosova and Romania.”