WHEN Year 7 at Haslingden High School was asked to donate Easter Eggs one student used his birthday money to buy 26.
Hundreds of eggs were donated and the school passed them on to the Women’s Refuge, Emmeline’s Pantry Parlour, a women-only food bank and women’s centre in Manchester, and Coffee4Craig street kitchen in Manchester.
Bobby Mellors, 12, thought his form had not brought enough in and so used money he had been given for his birthday in February to buy 26.
Bobby, from Rawtenstall, said: “When I brought them in on the last day of collection, so did many other students and my form ended up collecting 76 Easter eggs, which meant we collected one egg more than one of the other forms.
“I decided that I wanted to spend my money and bought a tray and a half of eggs from the supermarket. The checkout operator told me not to eat them all at once, but I explained what they were for.”
Bobby and his sister Grace, 15, are no strangers to fundraising and in March they were both sponsored to give up sweets, chocolates, biscuits and fast food.
Bobby is raising money for microphones for Valley Academy, in Crawshawbooth, where he used to attend the drama club. Grace is raising money for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.
Grace holds monthly coffee mornings for the charity where she sells cakes and buns she has made herself.
Lisa Southee said: “We’re so proud of our Year 7 students and some of our staff too.
“We organised an Easter egg collection for all the children who won’t be in their own homes this Easter, but will instead be temporarily accommodated in a women’s refuge through no fault of their own.
“Year 7 rose to the challenge and they made people’s lives better.”
Co-founder of Coffee4Craig Risha Lancaster said: “I think it’s really important that’s children learn about compassion, sharing and giving.
“If this becomes the norm to them then the next generation of police, nurses, politicians and shopkeepers will have theses values.
“They will think about people in need, poverty and the homeless or hopefully in their time of running our country they will have stopped these things happening.
“I love the fact that people are so thoughtful and generous we can ensure that the guys that come to our street kitchens will have some normality in their lives – a little bit of comfort and what a lovely little treat a chocolate Easter egg donated by students at Haslingden High School.
“Students at Haslingden High School once again have shown compassion and care for those in need.”