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1st November 2011 For Immediate Release
Leeds Building Society supports Operation Christmas Child Appeal
Leeds Building Society is supporting the Samaritan’s Purse Operations 
Christmas Child appeal. This is the fifth successive year the Society has taken part in this national initiative, and all 65 U.K. branches will be collecting shoeboxes from members of the public from today (Tuesday 1st November) until Friday 18th November 2011.
Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, and has been running since 1990. In 2010, the appeal involved over 400,000 children and adults from across the UK. Over 1.1 million shoeboxes were sent from the UK to disadvantaged children in 14 countries around the world. The charity is hoping to reach even more children in the poorest parts of the world in 2011.
Ian MacLeod, Head of Relationships and Infrastructure for Operation Christmas Child said, "We are delighted that all Leeds Building Society branches will again be acting as ‘Drop off Points.’
Giving a shoebox gift is very simple. All people need to do is find an empty shoebox, decide if it’s for a boy or a girl, fill the box with gifts, make the £2.50 donation and drop off their shoebox at their local branch. Our regional volunteers will then ensure the shoeboxes get to where they need to go."
Martin Richardson, Leeds Building Society’s General Manager Marketing and Business Development said, "We think Operation Christmas Child is a brilliant project that we recommend others to be part of. The shoe boxes not only assist the children that receive them, but also help our staff and customers feel part of something bigger that is helping others."
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Notes to Editors
Photos from Leeds Building Society’s involvement in last year’s appeal, taken at the Society's Sale and Epsom branches.
To take part, all people need to do is wrap a medium sized shoe box in Christmas paper.
Gifts that can be included are: (All gifts should be new, please include items from each category)
- Toys: soft toy, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks. For boys trucks and cars; for girls dolls, clip on earrings.
- School supplies: Pens, pencils, colouring books, notepad, chalk, pencil case, stickers.
- Hygiene items: bar of soap, flannel, hair brushes, combs, toothbrush & toothpaste.
- Sports items: Tennis ball, skipping rope, baseball cap, sweat bands, stopwatch.
- Other items: gloves, scarf, sunglasses, hat, necklaces.
Things that MUST NOT be put in the box are:
- No food
- No medicine
- No fragile items
- No dangerous items
- No liquids
- No novels
Leeds Building Society has assets of £9.5bn (as at 31 December 2010) and 67 branches throughout the UK, Gibraltar and Ireland. The Society has operated from the centre of Leeds since 1886.