We made a big effort to involve our local community in the Shoebox appeal this year and delivered over 1,000 leaflets and letters to local homes and businesses as well as to church members and children attending Cool Club, GLuG and Youth group.
Jenni Nash, one of our Neighbourhood wardens advertised within Sovereign Housing, and involved the local Pupil Referral Unit, Holybrook Youth Club and Beansheaf Pre-school to bring 35 filled shoeboxes.
In addition to dozens of boxes from local families, Hall Place Equestrian Centre, Tilehurst Parish Council, Cornwell 0-5’s group and Adam & Eve hairdressers contributed; even before our
Shoebox service we had 107 boxes! At the Shoebox service it was good to see new faces and the wall of Shoeboxes grew; the final total was 160. At the end of the service many young helpers
carried the boxes out to the cars to be taken to St Catherine’s where they joined the Shoeboxes collected by St Catherine’s ready for collection by the Samaritan’s Purse van.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to a record year!
Tony Bartlett