SHOEBOX APPEAL IS A RECORD BREAKER

The shoebox appeal in Ayrshire has set a new record.

Churches donated a whopping 4,500 gift boxes to Moldova and 1,900 to Romania as part of the Blythswood Care Shoebox Appeal.

A further £ 10,000 donated cash helped meet transportation costs to the countries.

The shoeboxes contain gifts and useful items for poverty stricken families abroad.

Thanking churches for the mammoth effort in 2016, appeal helper Fraser Hutchison said: “This year has seen the greatest number of gifts ever sent from our base in Ayrshire. Amazing to see this increase year on year.

“A huge thank you to everyone – the donors; the sorters, checkers and packers; the drivers; the treasurers – indeed all who helped in any way.

This year there were 190 helpers from 24 churches, and some with no church connection, all pulling together. Great fun, but also hard work.”

Congregations including Prestwick North and St Andrew’s had to step in to lend tables for the huge shoebox operation. The shoebox gifts were blessed before the journey.

The Post revealed how tiny St Oswald’s Church Maybole with only an eight strong congregation collected 81 shoeboxes filled with knitted hats scarves, toothpaste and toys.

A 10- year- old boy with special needs, living in a remote village in central Romania, has recently become the twomillionth person to receive a shoebox.