Schools respond to Shoebox appeal

Staff and pupils at local schools and Scout groups have been busy filling shoeboxes as part of Knaresborough Rotary's annual collection for orphanages and children's homes in Eastern Europe.

Knaresborough Rotarians president Mike Dixon and organiser Peter Thompson were at Boroughbridge High School recently to collect 108 shoeboxes assembled by staff and pupils.

Headteacher Miss Stephenson, sixth form mentor Mrs Rainbow, Head Boy Callum Anderson, sixth form student and listener Calista Stamos, year 7 pupils Libby Garrington, Rhys Halsall, Mason Hope and Abigail Maw presented the shoeboxes.

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Shoeboxes have also been collected from Roecliffe Primary, Queen Mary’s, Marton Primary, Queen Ethelburga’s and Boroughbridge Scouts.

Originally started by Rotary clubs in North West England in 1994, the Rotary Shoebox Scheme was intended to provide children of Lasi, in north-east Romania with Christmas gifts.

Since then, the scheme has become a national project, supported not only by Rotary clubs, but also by individuals, schools, scouts and guides, companies, churches, Inner Wheel, Rotaract and Interact Clubs.

Some 50,000 boxes are now sent out annually to many different countries in Central and Eastern Europe.