Marion Norwood (left), Course Director, Bsc Advertising with first year students Sean Lynch, Carla Jayne Whyte and Claire Gallagher

University of Ulster students at Magee have lent their support to one of the world’s biggest Christmas charities. 

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project.  In 2007, over 1.3 million shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts were sent from the UK to children in hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, and impoverished neighbourhoods around the globe.

This year the aim is to send Christmas cheer to even more children to try and reach those living in some of the most remote and poorest parts of the world.  For the past few weeks Advertising students in the Department of International Business at Magee have been collecting shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts on behalf of the Samaritans Operation Christmas Child 2008. 

Marian Norwood course director of BSc Advertising programme who is co-ordinating the shoebox appeal at Magee says she is delighted with the enthusiastic and generous response to the appeal from both students and staff.  

"Early in semester one,  our Year 1 Advertising students established a social and voluntary work group. The group were keen to launch a charity appeal for Christmas. Working on the shoebox appeal has helped students develop a common bond whilst helping others. It has proved really successful and already the students are talking about how they will organise their campaign for next year.” 

"All we are asking people to do is simply to choose some gifts and put them in a shoebox wrapped in Christmas paper with a sticker to indicate whether the box is for a boy or girl, and for different age groups 2-4 years, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years,” says Marian.

All the filled boxes will be delivered to the Samaritans who will deliver them to a child in need. 

Each box should include something to play with such as soft toys, finger puppet, ball, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, trucks and cars, small musical instruments, dolls, make-up or hair accessories; educational supplies like pens, pencils, colouring books, notepads, pencil case, chalk and stickers; personal hygiene items like toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, comb, hair accessories, soap and a face cloth

Other items to include are sweets (sell by date at least March 2009), gloves, scarf, cap, sunglasses, or items of fun jewellery.

Please do not include liquids of any kind, perishable food or sweets, medicine, war related items such as toy guns or soldiers, clothing, easily broken or dangerous toys.

The Samaritans also ask that you include £2.50 with your shoebox to cover the cost of transport and distribution of the shoebox. This can be paid by cheque or online at:www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/occ .

For further information contact Marian Norwood, Department of International Business, at: mt.norwood@ulster.ac.uk

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter