A CHARITY which delivers Christmas presents to vulnerable children in a dozen overseas countries is asking for York and North Yorkshire residents for their help.

Operation Christmas Child sends shoeboxes full of presents to children facing difficult lives around the world each year. Last year more than 14,100 gift-filled shoeboxes were donated by local communities including York, Selby, Malton, Harrogate, Northallerton, Pickering, Ripon, Scarborough, Thirsk and Whitby.

People from North Yorkshire are being encouraged to continue their generosity and support this year's campaign by filling a shoebox with gifts.

Keith Gibbons, regional manager for Operation Christmas Child, said: “We are one of the UK's largest annual children's charity projects, distributing over one million gift-filled shoeboxes to needy children at Christmas time last year.

“This year is the twenty first year of Operation Christmas Child and the level of support from across the county is vital to the continued success of the project and we know we can count on people's big-heartedness even in difficult economic times.

"With 2012 being an Olympic year, we are asking supporters - old and new - to think about including some sporting items in their shoeboxes, as many children are inspired by sport even when life is hard. As well as supporters putting in welcome Christmas gifts and educational items, we hope that they may include something like a tennis ball, skipping rope, baseball hat, small football, inflatable beach ball, stop watch, sweat bands or other sports related gifts. Also, the shoebox could be decorated with sports stickers or drawings.

"Our main aim has remained constant over the 21 years that Operation Christmas Child has been running - to bring some happiness and hope at Christmas to tens of thousands of youngsters, many of whom live in very difficult conditions including displaced persons camps, street shelters or in hospital, or who have been abandoned by, or removed from, abusive parents and placed in children's homes.

“They have very little to call their own and it is quite wonderful to see what a shoebox with some toys and other small presents can do to brighten up these children's lives at a time of year when we are celebrating Christmas.

“As a Christian charity our motivation to help these children is particularly strong at Christmas time, and we are so grateful for the kindness of so many people in donating shoeboxes for these unfortunate youngsters.”

Operation Christmas Child is an initiative of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief and development organisation, and anyone wishing to participate in this year's shoebox campaign should visit www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk or contact the helpline on 0870 011 2002.