THOUSANDS of shoe boxes filled with gifts are heading to deprived youngsters in Eastern Europe.

More than 5,000 have been donated so far by people in County Durham for children in Belarus, formerly part of the Soviet Union.

A team of 70 volunteers are collecting and sorting the boxes at a factory unit in Consett and are confident that a total of 10,000 will be shipped out by the end of next week.

The volunteers are supporting the annual effort of the Samaritan’s Purse charity, which aims to make the festive season a little brighter for poor children around the world.

Lead volunteer David Arbon said: “The shoe boxes contain basic things – a toothbrush, toothpaste, face flannel, sweets, pens and pencils, a notebook, colouring books, a woolly hat, scarf and gloves, small toys and maybe a musical instrument like a little recorder or a harmonica.

“They are basic things but these are children who have got nothing so even things like that are very important to them,” said Mr Arbon.

Mr Arbon said the support given to the appeal was “absolutely fantastic”.

He added: “We have had some amazing collections, schools and churches that have done three or four hundred boxes.”

The volunteers will be working until the end of November in Unit 17F on the No.1 Industrial Estate, Medomsley Road, Consett.

Shoe boxes can be dropped off on weekdays between 10am and 3pm until Wednesday (November 26) and on Saturday (November 22) between 10am and noon.