Hundreds of Easter eggs have been distributed to families in Peterlee thanks to a generous donation from a shopping centre at the heart of the town.
Castle Dene Shopping Centre donated 250 Easter eggs to Peterlee Police, who gave them to schools in the community which remained open with children of key workers and vulnerable, care home residents and competition winners. Police on patrol also gave them to children who made them smile while working over the bank holiday weekend.
The donation comes as Castle Dene had to change its plans for the next phase of its Kids Club calendar of events due to current regulations in relation to Covid-19, which would have seen the Easter Bunny hopping around the centre to hand out the chocolate treats.
Suzanne Chaney, Centre Manager at Castle Dene Shopping Centre, said: “We are extremely passionate about our free Kids Club events, as we know how much they mean to local families. However, under current circumstance it was just not possible for our original plans to go ahead.
“Being left with hundreds of Easter eggs and not wanting them to go to waste we decided we wanted to support the community and bring a smile to people this Easter.
“We know that in these difficult times there will be children going without an Easter egg this year and thought it would be a nice gesture for those families affected.
“Hopefully the Easter eggs will help bring a little cheer for everyone.”
This is not the first time Castle Dene has worked with Peterlee Police on similar initiatives. At Christmas, the police and other local stakeholders delivered the Christmas Gift Appeal which delivered gifts in the community to help put a smile on their faces on Christmas Day.
