WITNEY Samaritans have begun collecting shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts for children in Bosnian orphanages.

Last year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign saw some 3,000 shoe boxes collected from West Oxfordshire’s schools and residents.

Across the county, more than 18,000 boxes were donated last year, helping youngsters in Kenya, Belarus, Haiti and Montenegro.

The boxes are filled with toys, clothes and other items and are designed to bring joy to the lives of children.

Witney administrator Marie Cotton, who runs a team of six people, said: “We do this just to bring happiness to children who have nothing.

“For most of these children it is the only Christmas present they get because they are so poor.

“This really makes a difference because it shows that people care.”

Mrs Cotton said the team were shown a video each year of the children’s reaction to receiving the presents.

She said: “Most people end up in tears because of the reaction of the children.

“Some of the children actually have to be shown how to take things out of packaging because they have never had anything before. A lot of them just walk around with the shoe box and cuddle it because they do not realise there is anything in it.”

She added: “It is very rewarding to see their reactions. It makes it all worthwhile.”

The team spend three months working on the project and, as the shoes boxes begin to come in, November can become particularly intense.

The shoes boxes are stored at High Street Methodist Church in Witney.

Mrs Cotton said: “Some boxes are done beautifully and we have people who make dolls’ clothes for girls and knit special scarves.”

The deadline for donating a filled shoe box is November 21, when the church will hold a service and all the boxes will be on display. On November 29, the boxes will be shipped out by lorry and the Samaritans will sing carols in celebration.

* To join the campaign, contact Mrs Cotton on 01993 709874