Flintshire students’ shoeboxes will ring festive joy to disadvantaged children

Members of Ysgol Treffynnon’s student council have filled shoeboxes with gifts for disadvantaged young children after being set a challenge to complete a project that would have a benefit in another country. 

The students decided to make the shoeboxes for Teams4U, a charity that has been delivering shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts to children in Romania for over 25 years via schools, nurseries, hospitals and orphanages.

To kickstart the appeal for gifts, Kyle Muia created a Powerpoint presentation in his own time, highlighting the poverty in Eastern Europe and detailing the type of items that can be donated for the shoeboxes to ensure they comply with the rules of the charity.  

The presentation was shown to all students during form time, and the student council also made posters to display around the school asking for contributions.

Team meetings were held to plan each stage of the project and the students set deadlines to ensure the project ran to schedule.  

Kyle said: “I suggested we participate in the shoebox appeal because I feel strongly that young people should not have to miss out on receiving gifts at Christmas. I am amazed at the generosity of students and staff.”

Some form groups completed whole shoeboxes between them, while others donated items to form part of the contents of a box.

A year 11 form group wrapped and packed the shoeboxes, ensuring each one contained a fair distribution of hats, gloves, scarves, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, colouring books, stationery sets, toys, flannels and soap bars.

Rebekah Rae, Additional Learning Needs (ALN)teacher, assisted the students with the project.  She said: “Considering the challenging circumstances everyone is experiencing once again this year, the number of kind donations by students and staff has been overwhelming. 

“In total, 11 beautifully wrapped boxes were filled with a wonderful variety of gifts and we hope these will bring some much needed Christmas joy to vulnerable children living in challenging circumstances.  

“I am incredibly proud of all the students who have been involved with this project, it is brilliant to see their heartfelt commitment to helping those less fortunate.  I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this worthy cause.”

Mrs Rae dropped the shoeboxes off to Ziz York, program head at Teams4U.  She said: “Thank you so much for the compassion and generosity in these shoebox gifts, which will bring joy and brighten up the lives of children this Christmas!  Your shoeboxes will mean so much to the children who receive them and will be treasured for a long time to come!”