More than 150 gift-filled shoeboxes will make their way to children in need across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia this Christmas thanks to Llanfair Caereinion’s generous children and young people.

Operation Christmas Child is the Samaritan’s Purse campaign that helps people send shoeboxes of toys and supplies to children in need around the world.

This year 130 shoeboxes have been donated by pupils from Caereinion High School which will be shipped off to more than 160 countries in time for Christmas.

Twenty-six boxes have been collected from the area’s primary schools including Ysgol Dyffryn Banw, Castle Caereinion Primary School, Cylch Llanerfyl, Ysgol Gynradd Llanerfyl and Ysgol Meifod.

Llanfair Caereinion’s Operation Christmas Child boxes will be delivered to places like Bosnia, Crimea, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia and Swaziland.

Emma Fitzgerald, cover supervisor and shoebox appeal organiser, said: “We are glad to report that not only did we reach the 100 mark, but we also exceeded all our expectations and managed to collect 130 shoeboxes for the appeal.

“We are grateful to some of our local primary schools who contributed to the appeal.”