Students at Cobham Hall have been putting together some early Christmas presents.  ‘Operation Christmas Child’ caught the imagination of girls throughout the school and they have been busy filling shoeboxes with all sorts of gifts and treats.  The wrapped boxes will be distributed by hand to children who are affected by war, natural disaster and extreme poverty around the world.

Operation Christmas Child is organised by The Samaritan’s Purse, and is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project.  Samaritan’s Purse sent 1.24 million shoeboxes from the UK in 2006.  These were distributed through local charities to children in hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters and areas of extreme poverty.

The project was initiated in school by teacher Paul Gilchrist, who was delighted with the response.  ‘The girls have really risen to the challenge of thinking about children who are less fortunate than themselves. The response has been far better than I expected. Parents and students have put a lot of thought into their boxes. Much of the praise should go to the student leadership team who have done a fantastic job to organise the other students and make it such a success.’

Mr Gilchrist is also one of Cobham Hall’s Round Square representatives.  Round Square is an association of schools world wide which organises service projects and fundraising for a wide range of charities.  Later on this term, the girls are organising the annual Round Square Christmas Fair, which will raise money for their chosen charities of Demelza House, Cancer Research and the NSPCC.