Every year, the staff at The Probate Bureau Ltd come together to do something for charity. For the past three years this has included participating in the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child Appeal. This initiative was pioneered by Gemma Hill when she joined The Probate Bureau Ltd in 2007.  Since then more and more staff have become involved each year.

Operation Christmas Child is the largest Christmas shoebox appeal in the UK and has this year celebrated its 20^th Anniversary.  The shoeboxes are distributed to disadvantaged children around the world and this year will be divided between Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrygystan, Liberia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Romania, Serbia, Swaziland, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. Once they reach the recipient country they are distributed from centres such as churches, orphanages and schools so that they reach the neediest children. The children receiving these gifts would otherwise not have anything to open on Christmas Day.

Although Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organisation, the shoeboxes are distributed to all children in need; irrespective of their beliefs, ethnicity or religion.

People in the UK prepare the shoeboxes by wrapping an old shoebox in Christmas paper and filling it with children’s toys, toiletries and essentials, sweets, colouring books and other gifts. The boxes are intended for boys and girls aged 2-14 years old. Once prepared, a donation of £2.50 is enclosed to cover the postage and the boxes are taken to a designated ‘drop off’ point. They are then checked by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers and transported to the destination countries.

All of us at The Probate Bureau Ltd are proud to support this cause and thoroughly enjoy buying the gifts and packing the shoeboxes. We have included above some of the pictures we took this year.

If you would like to become involved yourself or make a donation, please go to www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk for more information.

Charlotte Cumbicus-Gunn

Probate Administrator