MORE than 600 Christmas shoeboxes, collected to help families in Moldova and Ukraine are due to be delivered soon.

The collections were co-ordinated by Dawlish Water Rotary Club and have proved a big success again this year, thanks to the generosity of local groups, primary schoolchildren, students and the general public.

Rotary Club president Chris May explained: ‘It is important we continue this project as it means so much to those in Moldova and now in worn-torn Ukraine where they need our continued support and love.

'We have collected over 600 boxes with many more to come.’

Students from Dawlish College have made an amazing contribution with over 200 shoeboxes. 

And there was a welcome contribution this year from students from the vocational Chances School in Dawlish, who for the first time, put together 15 boxes of useful items and treats and  designed their own unique wrapping paper in art lessons.

Community governor at Chances, Mary May, said: ‘This meant a huge learning curve involving geography, art, personal, social and other lessons, learning about citizenship in its widest  possible context.’