A CREDITON woman has sent 160 shoe boxes filled with essential items for children in need in Moldova, the country sandwiched between Romania and the Ukraine, which is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

It has been another year-long effort for Margaret Tucker, supported by her partner, Derek Shapland, to collect items for the boxes.

Margaret starts her shopping for the Christmas shoe boxes in the January sales, when often she can seek out a bargain such as two pairs of children’s gloves for 50p.

She admits that she is always on the lookout for bargains, throughout the year.

Items in the boxes for the children aged from five to 16 years include toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, crayons, felt tip pens, colouring books, notebooks, purses, small toys such as cars, games, chess, dominoes, pencil cases, pens plus gloves, scarves, hats, chocolate and biscuits.

Where possible, she squeezes into the boxes a doll or a cuddly toy, another delight for the children.

Margaret explained: “Each box contains a Christmas Card with a family photo, as they love to know who their gift comes from.”

Margaret also does boxes for older men and grandmothers, as grandmothers often look after the children as parents have sometimes left home to find work in Russia.

This year Margaret has also sent a large family box, for a mother and two children aged 12 and 14.

She explained: “The children had a dreadful upbringing as the mother drank, but now Hugh Scudder, who runs Christian Response for Eastern Europe, says they have got her back on track and things are better.”

Another family box is going to a young 18-year-old girl, who keeps in touch with Margaret.

Margaret also sent several bags of clothing.

Margaret added: “Biffo Holland and his wife Janice, again this year, collected the boxes, and bags, to take them to the Exmouth collection point, where they will be taken by lorry to Moldova, at the end of November, in time for Hugh and all his helpers to distribute the boxes, often at Christmas parties and soup kitchens.

“Others are delivered personally to those who can’t get to the parties.

“Moldova weather in the winter, can be as low at -40 degrees, and they often have no inside toilets in their small houses, a hole in the ground has to suffice.

“I would like to say a Big Thank You to everyone who has helped by giving gifts, shoe boxes, wrapping paper etc, and to Kate and staff at Refurnish, who has supported the shoe boxes, and to my partner Derek, who has the job of tying all the Boxes up with string and organising them in the garage.

“This year, around 160 boxes have been sent, plus four from Brenda Fowler, and four from Biffo and Janice Holland.

“Thank you everyone.”

Margaret has been sending filled shoe boxes for many years and said that she likes to know where they go and also to receive letters of thanks from some of the recipients.

She added thanks to Hugh Scudder and his team who not only deliver the filled shoe boxes but also give help and arrange soup kitchens and summer parties for the children.

“I just love doing the filled shoe boxes - it reminds me of when I used to do my own children’s Christmas stockings,” she said.