THOUSANDS of shoeboxes filled with toys, games and books have started their 1,800-mile journey from Cumbria to Romania.

The Barrow team of the Cumbrian humanitarian charity Boxes of Hope have loaded up and shipped out 4,135 shoeboxes, which will bring festive joy to children living in poverty.

READ MORE: Volunteers at Barrow warehouse rush to get shoe boxes ready for Christmas appeal

Volunteers have been busy collecting, sorting and packing shoeboxes for more than a week at their warehouse at Trinity Enterprise Centre in Ironworks Road.

Members of the public were challenged to decorate a shoebox in wrapping paper and fill it with items like toothpaste, crayons and gloves, as well as gifts.

Each donated box will be handed out to youngsters in Romania in time for Christmas. In many cases it will be the only present they receive.

On Tuesday, a lorry bound for Romania was packed up with cartons containing the boxes, thanks to the help of firefighters from Barrow.

'Special moment'

Rhona Teale, manager of the Barrow warehouse for Boxes of Hope, said: "It was marvellous to see. Our boxes filled the whole lorry.

"They will take four to five days to get to Romania. It's a special moment for the children when they open them.

"The grand total for Cumbria was around 11,000, which is fantastic."

Four members of the Barrow Boxes of Hope team will be travelling to the remote villages around Brazov in Transylvania in early December to join in with the task of handing out the shoeboxes to children.

The team have made special cartons so they know whereabouts in Barrow the shoeboxes have come from when they hand the presents out to youngsters.

Mrs Teale explained: "We will take lots of photographs to show the schools and groups who have supported us.

"It's great for them to see where their boxes have gone - it makes it more real."