University Academy Holbeach supports Rotary Shoebox Appeal

University Academy Holbeach (UAH) students will be putting smiles on the faces of youngsters living in Eastern Europe after taking part in the annual Rotary Shoebox Scheme.

Year 7 students at the Park Road school filled a total of 49 shoeboxes with small gifts suitable for babies, teenagers and families in Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.

Donna Allen, vice principal at UAH, said: "In a year that has been filled with so much negativity, Year 7 students were keen to spread a little happiness this winter and end this year on a hugely positive note.

"Students took part in the Rotary Shoebox Scheme in order to bring joy to disadvantaged individuals across Eastern Europe where the gifts sent abroad from our school will often be the only gifts these individuals receive.

"Each year tens of thousands of lives are touched by the generosity of people from this country and others.

"The support for the scheme has been hugely uplifting as eight Year 7 forms worked hard to fill boxes with lovely gifts.

"The enthusiasm from students was also a source of pride and Keira Sands (centre with Lewis Adaway and Jessica Warfield-Melton) said: ‘We’re like Santa giving out these gifts.'

"Lewis and Jessica added: ‘It’s nice to help children that are in need’ as it gives them something to look forward to’.

"Staff at UAH are so proud of the response from the Year 7 students and would like to say a sincere thank you to all involved in the scheme."

Spalding's St John the Baptist Primary School also showed its support for the scheme by raising £200 towards the costs of shipping the parcels to Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Free Press readers showed their generosity too by adding another 41 shoeboxes to the total collected by David Spenceley, past president of South Holland Rotary Club, who coordinates the appeal each year.

He said: "I'm very pleased with the support from UAH students, as well as Free Press readers who always support the scheme every year.

"We didn't know what to expect this year because of COVID-19, but we still wanted to try and do it because the need is always there, whether we've got this pandemic or not.

"So it was better to do something than nothing and, with the help of the Lincolnshire Free Press, the scheme has been kept in people's minds.

"In total, our Rotary district has collected about 1,200 boxes this year, compared to around 3,000 in a normal year.

"Hopefully, next year we'll be back to the levels that we normally have.

"In the meantime, thank you to the readers for their continuing support with these shoeboxes every year."