A WREXHAM charity has begun its annual appeal to gather gifts for children in other countries.

The Teams4U Shoebox Appeal, now in its fifth year, was launched in Wrexham on Friday and aims to send Christmas gifts to deprived children in Eastern Europe.

Since the appeal started in 2012 more than 60,000 Christmas shoeboxes have been sent to children in Romania and Belarus through T4U.

During the launch, the deputy mayor of Wrexham Cllr Andy Williams officially opened the warehouse – in Miners Road in Llay Industrial Estate – and spoke of the generosity of Wrexham residents who have supported the appeal and made it grow to where it is today. The charity is welcoming volunteers into the warehouse from November 20 to help process the shoeboxes but it is now open as a drop-off.

Other drop-off points in Wrexham are DWFitness, Borras Hub Salon and the Manna Bookshop.

For details on how to get involved and how to make a shoebox, visit the charity’s website at www.teams4u.com.