AN INSPIRATIONAL wee girl has gone all out this Christmas to collect 23 shoe boxes full of essential items to send to those living in poverty.

Emmie Mitchell got involved through her church to help their Blythswood shoebox campaign.

The eight-year-old felt determined to make a difference this year and beat her collection of 14 boxes from last year.

And Emmie set out on a mission over the past few weeks to collect as many boxes as she could. Emmie, who was delighted with her total, told the Advertiser: “I really like to do it. I did last year, my mum told me about it, so I tried and then I wanted to do it again this year. I tried to get more than 14 from last year and ended up with 23 in total.”

Emmie designed her own poster in a bid to get others to pledge donations, and she even used her own hard-earned pocket money to help buy items for the boxes.

With the help of local shops, and her mum advertising in her work, she managed to fill nine more boxes than last year.

Her proud mum Wendy told the Advertiser: “We go to Prestwick South Church – they launched the Blythswood shoebox campaign for this year.

“Last year Emmie managed to fill 14 boxes, she wanted to push on from that this year.

“She made a wee poster and she handed letters in local shops, we put the poster up in my work in Burns House.

“She used her own pocket money as well; we also bought her some things to put in the boxes.

“We approached South Ayrshire Libraries, they’ve got a Knit and Knatter group to see if they could help with scarves. She got 29 scarves back from them.”

“Her final number was 23, it’s amazing. Essentially she’s made a box for the equivalent for every child in her class at school.”

The boxes are set to be sent across the world to help children in Afghanistan.

In total over 200 filled shoeboxes were collected from Prestwick South Parish Church and taken to the Ayrshire collection depot.

The boxes are filled with essential items like toothbrushes and toothpaste, warm clothes and a toy for each child.