Here's how you can get involved in this year's Calderdale Shoebox Appeal

We invite you to donate by visiting www.justgiving.com/rotary-halifaxOver the last few years Rotary has distributed an average of 2,500 filled Christmas shoeboxes throughout Calderdale. The filled boxes are packed with items which make a present for someone who is unlikely to receive a gift at Christmas.

Over 50 per cent each year have been delivered by some twenty-five local charities and good causes to children. The other 50% of boxes being food, toiletries and keep warm accessories for vulnerable adults in our community.

This year because of Covid restrictions, many schools, businesses and supermarkets are reluctant to take and fill the flat pack boxes for Rotary to distribute. However, the Calderdale charities who support the thousands of people they help on a daily basis are anxious that they don’t miss out.

Charities continue to report to us that the giving of a filled Christmas shoebox is a delight to see and brings smiles to many faces.

Donations through Just Giving allows us to buy items to fill boxes ourselves or to give the charities the funds to buy goods to fill the boxes themselves.

All ready for giving out in the few days before Christmas.

So Rotary is running its Christmas Shoebox Appeal once again in a slightly different form in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and we need your help and support more than ever to make this year’s appeal a success.

Please share the link with your colleagues and social media networks to spread the word far and wide. Donations can be gift aided too – increasing your donation by 25 per cent.

We also know that some people enjoy filling a shoebox themselves. Below are the outlets in Calderdale where a box can be picked up and returned to:

· Marsh & Marsh Estate Agents at Hipperholme

· Harveys of Halifax Cookshop

· Tesco at King Cross and at Sowerby Bridge

Please contribute to this very worthy local appeal and let’s get those smiles returned on so many faces this Christmas.