WHAT a fantastic response almost 40,000 shoe boxes (31,500 last year) have been sent and they are still arriving.

We thank you all at the Wiltshire Times for your support which we know contributes considerably to this success.

May I thank Ben Payne especially for the care he has taken to report accurately and come up with a different angle each week. He is a lovely young man and very professional.

A lot of very happy children have received love and been given hope by the people of Wiltshire and especially the readers of the Wiltshire Times.

I know, because I have just seen it for myself in Romania. They find it amazing that people so far away would do so much for them.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Without you all we couldn't do what we do at Operation Christmas Child.

J WHALLEY