THERE is still time to support a scheme aiming to deliver Christmas magic to children around the world.

Recently the Leader reported on the hard work of volunteers at Teams 4 U, a Llay-based international relief organisation set up by Dave Cooke in 2006.

The organisation has announced a massive 17,000 Christmas shoeboxes have come in to its Wrexham warehouse.

These boxes - part of Teams 4 U's national record-breaking total of almost 63,000 - will be going to Belarus, Bosnia, Moldova, Romania and Uganda.

Boxes sent in from this point onward will be going to Uganda, confirmed overseas project co-ordinator Ziz York.

She told the Leader: "We have all been pleasantly surprised - when we hit the target from last year a few weeks ago we were thrilled.

"When we look at the boxes we see it as each child having a present. When you think about it that way, there are 62,000 children who are going to have a present this year.

"The impact is priceless.

"A lot of these children come from difficult circumstances and they have difficult lives. "For those who are living in orphanages, come have no family and while they do get looked after they get very little given to them personally.

"I have seen boxes go to children in Romania and they are just baffled that someone would be so generous and give them a box of things."

Speaking of the support the members of the public and the organisation's volunteers, she added: "As always we'd like to say a massive thanks - it is genuinely impossible without our donors and the incredible work of out coordinators and volunteers.

"Without them and their selfless commitment there is no way we could make all of this happen."

The scheme has been supported by more than 25 schools across Wrexham, as well as further afield.

Shoeboxes can be donated until December 20.

To find out how to donate, or for more information about Teams 4 U, visit: https://teams4u.com/