BOXES of Hope Cumbria is celebrating 10 years of sending gift-filled shoeboxes to children living in 'abject poverty'

Last year’s campaign saw more than 9,000 shoeboxes delivered to Romania. The surplus funds were transferred to charity partners in Romania, the People to People Foundation.

The funds are used to change the lives of the children that they work with in the villages of Tinca amd Hetea.

The campaign sees people fill shoeboxes with goodies such as balls, skipping ropes, stationary items, hygiene items, woolly hats and gloves which are then wrapped and sent to Romania with a team of volunteers.

This year the charity will be distributing boxes to Ukrainian children who have been displaced from their home country by conflict with Russia.

Rhona Teale, Boxes of Hope Cumbria Trustee, said: “There are 30,000 children living in abject poverty with no running water into their homes that are just wooden huts.

“They have no heating except a wood stove and lack basic items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, flannel, comb, hats and gloves.

“The shoe box is the only present they have.

“The smiles on the children’s faces and the excitement they show when the distribution team goes out and hands out the boxes makes it all worthwhile.”

The distribution team trip is all self-funded and is described as ‘hard work but very rewarding’ by Rhona.

This year’s campaign will run from November 1-12, with shoeboxes being collected from schools and drop-off points during the week beginning November 14.

Boxes should be delivered to drop-off points by November 13 however late boxes can be delivered to the Barrow warehouse at the Nan Tait Centre until November 16.

Barrow drop off points are St Matthew’s Community Centre and Women’s Community Matters. Those in Dalton can visit Wynsors World of Shoes.

Other drop off points include Wax Lyrical in Lindal, Appleseeds and Fountain Street Dental Practice in Ulverston, Lancasters in Grange, the Westmorland Gazette office in Kendal and Kendal Leisure Centre.

More locations can be found on the Boxes of Hope Cumbria website.

Rhona said: “We are grateful for all the support and generosity which have enabled us to help, and continue to help, many children who are suffering from extreme poverty through no fault of their own.”