BASINGSTOKE residents are encouraged to fill up a shoebox with goodies to send to disadvantaged and displaced children in Eastern Europe.

The annual Wessex Rotary Shoebox Scheme collects and delivers boxes of gifts to children aged between one and 15 in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Montenegro, and Poland in time for Christmas.

On Saturday, September 16, a team from Basingstoke Rotary Club will be on hand in Portchester Square. Festival Place, to hand out the boxes and urge shoppers to fill them with age-appropriate gifts.

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Tony Pickering, the international chair of Basingstoke Deane Rotary Club, said: “We are extremely grateful to Festival Place for letting us spend the day handing out boxes to their visitors.

“This is such an important scheme which we have been running for more than 15 years, which gives children some joy at Christmas when they would have absolutely nothing.

“We have seen so much displacement and disadvantage in these countries and, of course, now Ukraine, that we just want to do something to help.”

Basingstoke Deane Rotary Club was responsible for collecting and delivering 620 boxes last year – a figure it is hoping to increase this year.

The boxes are divided into four age groups – one to three, four to seven, eight to 11, and 12 to 15-year-olds. 

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Leaflets with the sorts of gift ideas for each age group as well as those items which cannot be sent including sweets will also be available with the boxes.

Festival Place marketing manager Sian Fisher said: “This is such an incredible scheme which helps so many children across parts of Europe. We have such a strong community in Basingstoke, and we hope that our visitors will pick up a box and fill it with just a few things to bring a smile to these children’s faces at Christmas.”

The team will be in Portchester Square between 9am and 4.30pm on Saturday, September 16. Boxes are also available to collect and return to Build-A-Bear in the centre until the end of October.