While it’s a bit early to mention the C word, we’re happy to make an exception for such a good cause. Team Hope is calling on school children and communities to support its Christmas shoebox appeal, which aims to deliver 200,000 shoeboxes full of goodies to children from Africa to Eastern Europe. People are being asked to wrap a shoebox with Christmas paper, fill it with gifts for a child, attach €4 and bring it to any of the 300 drop-off points across the country before 10 November. Gift suggestions include pens, pencils, colouring books, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, a small item of clothing or the ever-popular loom bands. For more information, visit www.teamhope.ie