YOU still have a few days to make their Christmas special - that's the message to people across Basingstoke who want to bring some festive cheer to deprived youngsters.

Gazette Newspapers is once again supporting the Operation Christmas Child Appeal run by the charity Samaritan's Purse and the deadline - Monday, November 20 - is fast approaching.

The charity encourages individuals schools and companies to fill shoeboxes with gifts to be sent out to disadvantaged children who otherwise may not receive any Christmas presents.

You can bring your filled shoeboxes to either the Gazette Newspapers' Church Street or Pelton Road offices and they will be collected and shipped off to eastern Europe or Africa.

The offices are open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.

You can include a variety of gifts and useful items, including:

  • a cuddly toy
  • a colouring book and crayons
  • a puzzle
  • toothbrush and toothpaste
  • wrapped bar of soap and a flannel.

You must not include any war-related items - toy guns or soldiers for example - or any liquids, such as bubble bath.

You can include sweets but not chocolate or any other edible items.

Anyone making up shoeboxes is asked to include a minimum donation of £2 to help with transport costs.

For more information about the Operation Christmas Child appeal 2006, log on to www.samaritanspurse.uk.com or contact the helpline on 0870 011 2002.

Gazette Newspapers also supported the Rotary Shoebox Appeal this year and, as a result, more than 600 gift-filled boxes will soon be on their way to bringing some Christmas joy to under-privileged children.

Members of all three Rotary clubs in Basingstoke - The Rotary Club of Basingstoke, The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane, and The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Loddon - have been collecting as many filled shoeboxes as possible.

Barrie Littlefair, a member of The Rotary Club of Basingstoke, said: "This year we have improved by 20 per cent, thanks largely to the Gazette Newspapers' appeal."