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Video: Blythswood's
last lorry leaves for Eastern Europe

by Luke Hollands

The last of a series of lorries has left Medway carrying
thousands of Christmas presents for disadvantaged families in
Eastern Europe.

Every year charity Blythswood Care dispatches festive shoe
boxes from its depot on Medway City Estate to people across the
globe. For some recipients, it could be the only present they
receive this year.

Despite the credit crunch nearly 17,000 boxes, containing
toiletries, clothing, toys and gifts, have been donated to the
Medway collection centre.

Thousands more have been collected across the country,
bringing the total donations somewhere close to 100,000. Each
box has been packed and donated by schools, churches and individual
helpers.

This year the Medway collection centre has delivered presents
to children and families in Serbia, Hungary and Romania. The final
lorry-load left Medway on Monday afternoon.

Logistics manager Phil Shorthouse said the shoeboxes make a
big difference: "I've had two teams in Serbia for the last two
weeks, and the tears of joy, the happiness and the smiles, you just
can't put a price on that.

"There was just squeals of laughter when they arrived.
It's great for these people to receive what is probably the only
gift they will receive this Christmas."

Blythswood Care's other projects include providing fire
engines to Kraljevo fire station in Serbia and helping to open new
homes for orphaned and abandoned children.

The charity was founded in 1966 and has been in Medway for 10
years. It has an office and distribution centre in The Jasmine
Centre, Riverside 1, Sir Thomas Longley Road, on the Medway City
Estate, as well as a shop in Darnley Road, Strood, and other
offices throughout Britain.