Boxes of treats head East

Rotary Christmas Shoebox scheme at Thornham St James School. L-R: Harvey Berry, Lukas Warrington, Philip Day (Rotary), Zahrah Zaynab, Maisie Reed, Margaret Johnson (Headteacher), Holly Mellor, Morven Butterworth, Eleanor Myers.

PUPILS at Thornham St James’s School, Royton, have collected an impressive 176 shoebox gifts for needy children through the Rotary Christmas Shoebox Scheme.

It first started in 1994 when gift boxes were sent to needy children in Romania at Christmas.

Since then the scheme has grown throughout Britain and Ireland with tens of thousands of boxes having been sent to children and families throughout Eastern Europe. Pictured, from left, are Harvey Berry, Lukas Warrington, Philip Day (Rotary), Zahrah Zaynab, Maisie Reed, Margaret Johnson (head teacher), Holly Mellor, Morven Butterworth and Eleanor Myers.