MORE than 70 Christmas presents collected by New College Lanark-shire students have been sent to Eastern Europe for under-privileged children.

The college's annual Shoebox Appeal saw students from the Entry into Work Programme, based in the Cumber-nauld and Kirkintilloch campuses, get involved with the cause.

The gifts, which are covered in festive wrapping paper and filled with toys, stationery, gloves, scarves and toiletries, were collected by Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project.

The charity will hand the boxes out to children tomorrow.

This is the fourth year the college has collected Christmas donations and in that time hundreds boxes have been sent to children in Belarus, Serbia and Ukraine.

Beatrice Soutar, events lecturer at New College Lanarkshire, said: "Our Shoebox Appeal is a campaign that all the students look forward to taking part in.

"It is hard to imagine waking up to no pres-ents on Christmas Day. That's why donations from the college and the local community are so important.

"We are thrilled we are able to send more than 70 gifts this year and we would like to thank everyone for their generosity."

A number of local businesses donated items for the shoeboxes and residents from Hill-crest Court, Sheltered Housing complex in Cumbernauld knitted hats, scarves and gloves.

Elizabeth Fox, scheme manager at Hillcrest Court Shelt-ered Housing, said: "The tenants at Hill-crest Court feel privi-leged to be involved with knitting items for such a great cause as the Shoebox Appeal for the Samaritan's Purse.

"It has been an opportunity for the tenants to work alongside the students of New College Lanarkshire.

"It is important for my tenants to be invol-ved with an intergener-ational cause - an older generation working alongside the younger generation and to-gether providing happiness to less fortunate children from around the world."

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk