Recently I was honoured to switch on Jarrow’s Christmas lights with the Mayor of South Tyneside Coun John Anglin which means the run up to the festive season is well and truly underway.  This is a particularly special time and many of us will be looking forward to opening our presents and spending time with our friends and family.  Unfortunately, not everyone will be happy this Christmas.  For example, please take time to think of those children in poorer countries who are not as fortunate as ourselves.

On Sunday I was delighted to be present at the annual Thanksgiving Service at Jarrow Salvation Army Hall to offer my support to the Operation Christmas Child Appeal.  As always it was a pleasure to meet with organiser Carol Hall and her dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly year-on-year to make this superb appeal such a success.  Now in its 16^th year, Operation Christmas Child allows kind-hearted residents in our area to play Santa for disadvantaged children who would otherwise face a bleak Christmas without a single gift.

Each box is sent to hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters and to those less affluent neighbourhoods.  Each gift means so much to a child in a way which is hard to imagine.  On Friday 4^th December, a lorry packed with gifts will set off from Bladen Street in Jarrow to make the long journey to Novi Sad in Serbia.  Over 10,500 boxes packed with presents such as small cuddly toys, sweets, hats and scarves and games will be sent to Eastern Europe to bring smiles to the faces of the children at Christmas.

Since the birth of Operation Christmas Child the appeal has brought joy to more than 47 million children throughout the world.  We know that times are hard for many people and our area isn’t as prosperous as other parts of the country.  Yet the generosity of people to this wonderful appeal once more never fails to amaze me. 

The work from individuals and organisations such as OXFAM and CAFOD throughout the world deserve much recognition.  The Labour Government is committed to helping the poorer countries in the world.  We have more than doubled Britain’s aid budget and are committed to reaching the UN agreed target of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income to be spent on development assistance by 2013. Our investment has contributed to help lifting 3 million people permanently out of poverty each year.

Operation Christmas Child is a glowing testament to the warmth and generosity of all the local schools, churches, businesses, organisations and volunteers across South Tyneside who contribute to the appeal’s success every year. To a child somewhere, something like a box full of gifts makes a whole world of difference. As we look forward to Christmas let’s just remember how lucky we really are.