Recently Narberth and Whitland Rotary president Elaine Bradbury gave thanks to Mrs. Steel and the students of the Health and Social Care Group and staff at Pembrokeshire College for filling these Rotary Shoe Boxes this year.

The Rotary Shoe Box scheme has been operating for 25 years and the mission to spread a little happiness to disadvantaged children and adults in Eastern Europe at Christmas and indeed now all year round.

Originally started by North West Rotary clubs in 1994, the Rotary Shoebox Scheme was then intended to provide children of Iasi, in north-east Romania, with Christmas gifts. Since then, the scheme has become a national project.

Each year Rotary in Great Britain sends around 50,000 shoeboxes or gifts. Each year the boxes are sent to many different countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Toys are especially useful all year round for birthday presents in the orphanages, homes and hospitals. All age groups, including teenagers, have welcomed the boxes. The boxes are delivered to children and teenagers in orphanages, hospitals and also to street kids, To Adults in TB and AIDS hospitals. Also they are sent to disadvantaged families and to women’s refuges and to older people in hostels with no supporting families.

More information can be found at www.rotaryshoebox.org

The Rotary Club of Narberth and Whitland wish to thank Pembrokeshire College and other participation given by local schools for their generosity this Christmas.

President Elaine and Assistant Governor Mary did the final collections of shoe boxes from Ysgol Llys Hywel and Ysgol Beca.

They took them to Moylegrove for the transport this week to Rotary Shoe Boxes in Preston.

Grateful thanks are due to John Fletcher, of Gentle Giant Horses, for his continued support in co-ordinating deliveries for our clubs in West Wales. His father originally started the co-ordination in Pembrokeshire and this is a tradition he is happy to carry on with.

The boxes should be on their way to children for Christmas delivery by the end of November.

Mary said “It was a pleasure to see the children loading the van today . Thanks to Narberth, Llys Hywel, Beca, Meidrim Tavernspite, Templeton Schools and Pembrokeshire College for collecting these boxes.”