PETERSFIELD Infant School pupils and their families have been very busy in the run up to Christmas filling shoeboxes with gifts and useful items for the Link To Hope charity.

The 160 shoeboxes will travel thousands of miles to destinations across Eastern Europe.

The school appeal was launched after children attended an assembly to find out all about Link To Hope; then to kick-start the appeal, each class packed a shoebox for a family.

School deputy head Alyson Crew said: “This meant that all children were able to be involved.

“In the following few weeks, more and more shoeboxes arrived at school, and the final total of 160 filled shoeboxes was a new record for the school."

She added: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the parent and children this year – it will be a hard record to beat."

Once all the shoeboxes were collected, the Year 2 children then helped to load them onto the lorry taking them to Europe.