A SHOE box campaign has launched in Crowthorne which aims to collect gifts and toys to help children this Christmas.

Housebuilder Barratt Homes is kick-starting its Operation Christmas Child by collecting as many gift shoeboxes as they can for children across 11 countries, including Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria and more.

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The Cricket Field Grove in Crowthorne is opening its doors to residents as a drop off point between November 11 to 18.

Locals can get an empty medium sized shoebox and wrap the lid and box separately in festive wrapping paper.

Select the gender and age category: 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 for your gift recipient and download the label to stick on the top of the shoebox.

Lynnette St Quintin, sales & marketing director for Barratt Southern Counties, added: “Christmas is a time for giving, and a little can truly go a long way at this time of year.

"Members of the local community are welcome to fill up a shoebox with gifts for children who are less fortunate and drop it off at our Sales and Marketing Suites between 11th – 18th November.”

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Last year, Samaritans Purse UK brought Christmas to more than half a million children, delivering 511,200 shoeboxes in 11 countries.

Nick Cole, director of Operation Christmas Child UK, said: "We would like to thank our generous supporters for helping to bring Christmas to so many children across the world last year. It’s fantastic to see that this year we have already received so much support from schools, companies, and individuals as we begin the run-up to our 2019 Operation Christmas Child collection."