Residents across Colten Care gift shoeboxes for Children in Ukraine and Romania

Residents have filled over 100 shoeboxes with gifts for disadvantaged babies and children in Ukraine and Romania this Christmas.

The boxes, which have been packed with soft toys, stationery, warm gloves and mittens, books and toiletries, were handed over to the Rotary Club of Boscombe & Southbourne, which is collecting shoeboxes across the district for distribution to Eastern Europe next month (November).

Colten Care’s Senior Companionship Team Leader Donia O’Connor said: “We are very proud at Colten Care to have a long-standing relationship with the Rotary and this wonderful scheme.

“For me personally it’s always deeply inspiring to stand amongst all the festive shoeboxes that our residents have lovingly packed, knowing they will soon be opened by children who have so little.”

Homes which provided shoeboxes this year were Avon Cliff in Bournemouth, Fernhill in Longham, Brook View and Amberwood House in Ferndown, Kingfishers in New Milton, Linden House, Belmore Lodge and Court Lodge in Lymington, Whitecliffe House in Blandford Forum, Abbey View in Sherborne, Newstone House in Sturminster Newton, St Catherines View and Abbotts View in Winchester and Canford Chase, The Aldbury and Bourne View in Poole.

Boscombe & Southbourne Rotarians David Shires, Leon Warner and Neal Curtis collected all the boxes from Bourne View in Poole.

David Shires, who is President of the branch said: “We are deeply grateful for Colten Care’s continuing commitment and generosity to the Rotary Shoebox Scheme.

“These, along with thousands of other shoeboxes collected across the district will be going out to Eastern Europe in mid-November, for distribution to babies and children whose difficult lives will be noticeably brightened by the gift.”

Peter Prior and Pam Pamphilon, residents at Bourne View said they were proud to be part of the effort.

Peter said: “I’ve always loved Christmas, especially as a child and it’s lovely to know we will be spreading a little joy to children who really need it.”

Pam agreed: “I have two daughters, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren and Christmas is a magical time for us all. It’s very important we do all we can to help children who are living elsewhere in the world under desperate conditions.”

Zoe Rose, Companionship Team Leader at Bourne View added: “We love being the central point to which all the Colten Care shoeboxes come. Seeing them all here, prepared with such love and care is wonderful and we feel privileged to be part of it all.”