BASINGSTOKE Deane Rotary club aim to donate one thousand shoeboxes this year filled with essentials to Ukraine as a part of its Christmas appeal.

Every year children across the world receive Christmas shoeboxes, and the collection points this year that are scattered around Basingstoke have been kept busy as more and more people get involved. 

Ukraine has recently been added to the list of countries that will receive shoeboxes from Rotary clubs across the Wessex region.

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Other countries that also receive donated shoeboxes from Rotary Clubs include Albania, Montenegro, Moldova and Romania. 

If people donating want their shoebox to go to Ukraine, which will be a limited number from this region, clearly mark your box with the word "Ukraine".

To be fair to children receiving the shoeboxes this year the Rotary Club are supplying uniformed size boxes which can be both collected and returned at the following locations:

Build-A-Bear Workshop at Festival Place

Basingstoke EdenMazda London Road, Old Basing 

Oakley Carpets, Station Yard, Andover Road, Oakley

Parnell Jordy & Harvey Estate Agents Winchester Street

Basingstoke Gazette: An example shoebox previously donated.An example shoebox previously donated. (Image: Basingstoke Deane Rotary)

The deadline to hand over your filled shoebox is Friday, October 28 to ensure all boxes can be ready in time for the children to receive them for Christmas.

Basingstoke Deane Rotary Club members and friends are looking forward to a very busy evening on November 1 when they will check the contents of the shoeboxes and sort them into age groups for transporting to the area warehouse for shipment.