PUPILS from Oakhill College in Whalley are sending their very own messages this Christmas to children in need around the world.

The kind-hearted youngsters have collected 50 showboxes filled with toys, books, pens, pencils and sharpener, and crayons, together with toiletries and other items such as sweets, batteries and clothing.

Mrs Taylor, senior teacher at Oakhill, co-ordinated the response to Operation Christmas Child, a Christian Aid programme and the largest children's gift aid project in the world.

Operation Christmas Child provides an opportunity for individuals of all ages to be involved in a simple project that reaches out to suffering children while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. If you would like to follow the lead of Oakhill College, details are available from the charity's website at www.samaritanspurse.org