THE Upton community joined together to fill shoeboxes with festive gifts and wrap them ready to be sent to less-privileged children across the world this Christmas time.

A shoebox workshop was held at Upton Baptist Church Hall on Friday (November 6) as part of this year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign, which is run by charity Samaritan’s Purse.

Members of the town’s Baptist, Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches took part in the session, as well as many others from groups in the local community.

Barrie Burch, who co-ordinates the campaign in Upton, collects shoeboxes throughout the year, and he hopes that Upton will manage to fill about 100 boxes this year.

Filled shoeboxes can be dropped off at the hall until Sunday (November 15), after which time they will be taken to the area’s central distribution centre in Evesham. The gifts will then be transported to disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe, Africa and Central Asia.

Items suitable for inclusion include toys, educational supplies such as pens and pencils, hygiene items and sweets. Other foods, medicines, sharp objects and toy guns are not allowed.

Mr Burch has once again been delighted with the local response to Operation Christmas Child.

“It is a real whole-community effort,” he said.

For more information visit operationchristmaschild.org.uk