CARING students are preparing to give orphans a Christmas to remember.

Students from Redcar and Cleveland College are set to travel to Romania where they will deliver Christmas presents to needy orphans and pensioners.

They will make the trip to Eastern Europe in November and hope to provide children from two orphanages and elderly residents of a care home with a Christmas bag each.

The Health, Social Care and Child Care students will fill the bags with essential and luxury items such as toys, notebooks, toiletries, hats and scarves. Once they arrive in Romania, they will also buy more bulky items like towels, clothing and household equipment needed by the residential homes.

The students will be accompanied on their trip by tutors Claire Barwick and Gillian Morgan, who have been taking groups to Romania for five years.

Ms Barwick said: “Our annual trip to Romania has become an important part of the year for the Health and Social Care department because its impact on the students and staff is always so immense.

“This will be my sixth visit, but I am still incredibly moved during every trip and I know this year will be no different for our students.

"Spending time with orphans who literally have nothing, or elderly people who just yearn for company and affection, is life-changing and is something that never leaves you.”

The students have already collected a selection of items for the trip, but are appealing for cash and gift donations from the public. Miss Morgan said: “We know from experience that the children and pensioners in these homes have nothing, so anything we can take to make their lives brighter is always very much appreciated.”

The students will leave for Romania on Monday, November 5. Gift and money donations must be taken to Redcar and Cleveland College on Corporation Road, Redcar, by October 31, for the attention of Claire Barwick and Gillian Morgan. Items should not be wrapped.

Ideal items for donation include toiletries, hairbrushes and combs, woolly hats, gloves, scarves and socks, sweets, note books, small toys, pens, sweets and Christmas decorations.