A CHARITY coordinator is urging people to support a charity that takes Christmas boxes to children in Eastern Europe.

Bob James, teams coordinator at Teams4U said: "Autumn is a time which brings shorter days and lower temperatures. We switch on the central heating and start thinking what we want for Christmas.

"But what of the impoverished, orphaned and homeless in Eastern Europe, for them there is no central heating only perhaps a small wood burning stove with which to heat and cook. The home, just a water tank, a lorry body or a sewer under the road, the temperature as low as -30."

"Then came along Teams4U and suddenly many of these vulnerable people are going to have a Christmas they could not even dream about, boxes covered in pretty paper and filled with treasure."

The Christmas boxes contain items such as pencils, paper, sweets, soap, toothpaste and brush, a ball, a yo-yo or a doll, or a car."

Mr James said: "I have been privileged to be able to deliver some of these gifts on your behalf and to see the joy the boxes bring I may not understand the language but the smiles on their faces are sufficient. I believe that each box contains a gift that the human eye can’t see, love and it shines out to each child when they open it. This box is most likely the only gift the child will receive this year and possibly the only one they have ever had."

"A few years ago on a distribution trip in early January I met a family, mother, daughters aged 14 and 12, and a boy of 11 living in a container. The temperature was -26 and the mother was wearing a summer dress all she had, if she had any money it went on the children.

"I had with me a beautiful boxed doll given by a lady in her 80’s who told me she had owned it all her life and asked me to find a little girl who would love it. I gave the doll to the two girls and told them through the translator it was to be shared, they were thrilled to own it as they had only ever seen a picture of a doll."

"I gave the boy a large bag of sweets as it was the only other item I had the mother stood and cried because at Christmas she had had no food let alone any gifts for the children."

Mr James said: "On behalf of all the children who have benefitted from your gifts and efforts a huge ‘thank you' Remember every box is a smiley face at Christmas and shows them they are not forgotten. Please convince your friends to fill more boxes."