For 23 years Rotary in Harpenden, with the dedicated support of staff, students and parents of local primary and junior schools, have delivered Rotary Shoeboxes at Christmas time to disadvantaged children and elderly people in central and eastern Europe.

Lately, changes to the Rotary Shoebox Scheme made it unattractive for us to continue our involvement but, fortunately, at the same time we learnt of a new scheme. This involved filling crates with educational and recreational items for transport to Lviv, Ukraine, for distribution to children most affected by the war.

Much as we enthused about this Friendship Box Scheme we knew our joining it depended on the backing of those schools who had supported the Rotary Shoebox Scheme. To our delight, not only did the schools welcome the Friendship Box scheme, they embraced it wholeheartedly to the extent that we had to increase the number of boxes we had bought initially from 150 to 285. In addition, we were able to recruit other junior schools, thereby extending our coverage from Redbourn through Harpenden to Wheathampstead. In all, 14 junior schools participated.

As the plastic crates hold the equivalent of five shoeboxes, the 285 Friendship Boxes filled this initial year were the equivalent of 1425 shoeboxes.

Our Friendship Boxes were among the many delivered to Lviv in time for the celebration of St Nicholas (Mykolai) when he visits children during the night of 5th/6th December, bringing presents to them.