AN ANNUAL drive to bring smiles to the faces of impoverished children in Eastern Europe at Christmas has begun.

Furness families are being asked to show the festive spirit and dig deep to consider those less fortunate this yuletide season.

Each year volunteers take thousands of shoeboxes packed with toys - and this year's effort is now underway.

Boxes of Hope Cumbria has contacted local schools and groups in a bid to get donations.

The charity is committed to providing help to both children and their families who live in poverty within Eastern Europe. It has partnered up with other charities in Romania such as People to People Foundation, Oradea.

Trustee Rhona Teale, of Walney, is among those who devote hours of their time to the effort.

She said seeing first hand the deprivation in Romania made her feel like she had to give up some of her time to help these children.

"I get a great deal of pleasure knowing that these small gifts we send will provide such pleasure to so many children," she said.

Boxes of Hope rely on the generous donations of the public and Mrs Teale said it is always in need of stationery and fun items such as balls and cars.

The shoeboxes also include personal hygiene products such as toothbrush and toothpaste..

For many of the children the charity helps, it will be the only present that they will ever receive, with many of them not even knowing when their own birthday is.

Mrs Teale said: "It's fantastic, rewarding and a humbling experience to be able to go and give these boxes and see the smiles on their faces whilst spreading a little Christmas joy further than my own family and friends."

The main campaign time will run from November 1 to 12, although there are fundraising events held throughout the year. Volunteer drivers will collect the presents and deliver them to a warehouse where they will be checked and packed into cartons, ready to leave Cumbria on November 19.

Some local shops and businesses will act as drop off points for people wishing to donate towards the cause. Thousands of presents have been collected in previous years, with hopes to gain more momentum with each year.

If you wish to participate but are unable to create a shoebox, you can visit their website at www.boxesofhopecumbria.co.uk and purchase a virtual box for a minimum of £12.