AN AMMANFORD opticians is celebrating after its appeal to collect Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children received an impressive response from the local community.

Staff at the Specsavers store on Quay Street, Ammanford, have collected a total of 182 shoe boxes filled with toys and gifts to donate to this year’s Operation Christmas Child appeal.

Operation Christmas Child is a global annual appeal, which provides Christmas gifts to vulnerable children in more than 130 countries across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The boxes can contain items such as toys, sweets, colouring pencils and notebooks, and simple toiletries like toothbrushes and soap.

Since 1990 the appeal has provided shoe boxes of Christmas gifts to more than 113 million children.

Kevin McCarthy, director of Specsavers in Ammanford, said: "The store has taken part in the Operation Christmas Child appeal for a number of years, but this is our most successful total to date. The whole team were delighted to have received so many shoe boxes, and I would like to thank everyone who donated a box.

"It is often easy to forget that not everyone is fortunate enough to receive a bundle of presents at Christmas time, and many children lack even the most basic things we take for granted. While these simple items may seem like stocking-fillers to many of us, they will go a long way to making a disadvantaged child’s Christmas much happier this year."