Could One Shoebox Change a Child’s Christmas? Formby’s Much Loved Shoebox Express Returns

One of Formby’s much loved community charity events is returning this October, giving local families the chance to come together and help bring a little Christmas happiness to children facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

The Shoebox Express® Grand Charity Bazaar will take place on Saturday 10th October from 10am until 4pm at Formby Methodist Church Hall on Elbow Lane, Formby.

Shoebox Express has its roots right here in Formby. The initiative began at Formby Methodist Church and has been growing with the support of the local community since 2007. It later became a registered charity and has gone on to help produce thousands of Christmas shoeboxes for children in need.

In recent years, the charity has concentrated its efforts on children affected by the war in Ukraine.

The scale of Formby’s support has been remarkable. In 2019, Shoebox Express had a hand in producing 1,860 Christmas shoeboxes. In 2023, 1,261 boxes were produced for children in Ukraine, while in 2025 another 1,009 Christmas shoeboxes were made and shipped to Ukrainian children.

Now Thomas, Maureen, Andrew and the team are preparing to do it all again for Christmas 2026.

The idea behind Shoebox Express is wonderfully simple. Instead of families having to find a box, shop for lots of different items and then arrange for it to be sent overseas, everything needed to create a Christmas shoebox is brought together under one roof.

Visitors to the Grand Charity Bazaar will be given a festive shoebox before making their way around tables filled with suitable gifts including stationery, toiletries, hats and gloves, toys and games, biscuits and other useful items.

Families can choose what they would like to put inside their box, creating a Christmas gift especially for a child who may otherwise receive very little.

A suggested donation of £8 helps cover both the contents of the shoebox and the cost of delivering it overseas.

However, the organisers are very conscious of the pressures many families are facing with the cost of living. The £8 is only a suggested donation and anyone wishing to give more or less is equally welcome.

Credit and debit card payments will also be accepted.

Shoebox Express was created around the principle of removing as many barriers as possible to taking part in a Christmas shoebox appeal. The aim is to make helping a child simple, affordable and enjoyable for everyone.

And you do not have to make a shoebox to enjoy the day.

Everyone is welcome to simply come along, enjoy the atmosphere and support the charity. Admission is free and there will be free refreshments and biscuits throughout the day, with bacon rolls being served from 10.30am until 1.30pm.

The Bazaar has become a real community occasion over the years. At the 2023 event alone, an incredible 556 Christmas shoeboxes were made in a single Saturday at Formby Methodist Church, setting a new record for the Bazaar at the time. More than 200 bacon rolls were also served by the volunteer catering team.

What makes Shoebox Express particularly special is the way it is run.

Everyone involved gives their time voluntarily and there are no salaries to pay. The charity’s Trustees personally meet its running costs, meaning donations can be directed towards the contents of the boxes and getting them to the children who need them.

The charity says the money it receives goes towards items including school stationery, toiletries, toys, games, sweets, hats and gloves as well as international shipping.

For Thomas, Maureen, Andrew and the volunteers behind Shoebox Express, every box represents far more than the items inside it.

It is a message to a child living through extraordinarily difficult circumstances that somebody, many miles away in Formby, was thinking about them at Christmas.

The organisers said: “Your Christmas shoebox will help relieve poverty and promote the happiness of a child in extremely difficult circumstances.”

The Shoebox Express Grand Charity Bazaar takes place on Saturday 10th October 2026 from 10am until 4pm at Formby Methodist Church Hall, Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AF.

Admission is free, everyone is welcome and there is no obligation to make a shoebox.

Whether you make a box, make a donation or simply pop in for a bacon roll and support the volunteers, it promises to be another wonderful example of Formby’s community spirit helping children who need it most.