MARGARET Edwards and Jean Parker have nimble fingers which is just as well because, in the coming weeks, they will be wrapping hundreds of shoe-boxes with Christmas paper.

The two women, who work at Poyners, the ladies' and children’s clothes shop in Ludlow town centre, are now in their 11th year of supporting ‘Operation Christmas Child'.

This involves sending a shoe-box with simple gifts and small toys to children in other parts of the world who would get little or nothing at Christmas.

“We would like to hear from as many people as possible who would like a box to fill,” said Margaret.

“The items are just simple things like soap, a flannel or tooth brush, stationary and a simple small toy. It hopefully brings a smile to the faces of children that have little or nothing.”

Tesco in Ludlow and its customers have been helping by filling boxes and making donations. People in the town also get involved in the appeal.

So far, Margaret and Jean have filled about 100 boxes but by the time they are collected towards the end of November it is hoped that there will be 1,000. The empty boxes are provided by the Elt Shoe Shop in Ludlow.

“In a typical year we will send between 700 and 1,000,” added Margaret.

“We start getting to wrapping paper early in the year by buying it at the sales after Christmas or having it donated. The wrapping of the boxes starts in June so it does feel odd wrapping boxes with Christmas paper in the middle of the summer.

“The big rush comes in the autumn but I have done so many over the years that I can wrap a box in about a minute.

“If you add it all up then there is a lot of time involved but it is worth it to think that we are helping to give something to people who do not have very much. It is the children that keep us going.”

Margaret and Jean want as many people as possible to visit the shop in Broad Street to collect a box.

They do not know where the boxes will be sent but those from Ludlow usually go to the poorer parts of some of the countries in central and Eastern Europe.

“We want to thank people who are so generous and kind and also the staff and customers of Tesco and the shoe shop that provides us with so many boxes.”