Gift milestone a shoe-in with help from Irish woman

A GRANNY who created 1,000 Christmas shoebox gifts for children living in poverty is hoping her efforts can push a charity's total present haul over the three million mark.

- BY CILLIAN SHERLOCK

Team Hope has so far delivered 2.8 million shoebox gifts packed by Irish families for children in Africa and eastern Europe - and aims to cross the milestone to mark its 15th anniversary.

In the run-up to Halloween, Wexford woman Maureen O'Hanlon is putting the final touches to this year's batch of 100 festive boxes.

In the last decade, she has put together 1,000 shoeboxes - and has some extra help this year in the form of her six-year-old granddaughter Anna.

"She lives just beside me and calls it Santa's workshop because I start for the following year as soon as the shoebox gifts have been sent away," said Maureen from her home in Campile, outside New Ross.