Charity representatives receive some of the Easter eggs from local church ministers (left to right): Czarina Jacobs from SDAS; Louise Boyle, from Homestart; Julie Minter, student minister in Farlington; Canon Bob White, vicar, St Mary’s Church, Portsmouth; Kerri McGorrigan, Homestart co-ordinator; and Lin Kitchener, from the Roberts Centre.

GENEROUS churchgoers from across Portsmouth donated more than 550 Easter eggs to help needy families.

Worshippers collected donations of chocolate eggs from their churches, schools, colleges and workplaces to help those who might not be able to afford Easter treats.

The Easter eggs have been given to help families supported by the Roberts Centre in Landport, and Homestart in Portsmouth, which both help vulnerable families; and the Southern Domestic Abuse Service (SDAS), which helps families where there has been domestic abuse. Representatives from all three charities picked up piles of Easter eggs from St Mary’s Church in Fratton.

Czarina Jacobs, senior support worker for SDAS in Portsmouth, said: “These will be given to children in refuges that we support, and will be received very happily. Easter eggs can be expensive to buy, so this is a lovely way to help families who might be in stressful situations.”

Louise Boyle, Homestart business manager, said: “We work with lots of families that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to provide their children with Easter treats, so these will be gratefully received. Our volunteers will give them out, which will help to strengthen their relationships with the children.”

And Lin Kitchener, from the Roberts Centre, said: “We’ll be distributing them to our families in temporary accommodation or who are at risk of losing their homes, as well as those children who attend our nursery and playscheme. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone from the local churches, who come up trumps every year. It’s lovely to see the looks on children’s faces when we give them these Easter eggs.”

This is the fourth year that St Mary’s has led an appeal. Easter eggs were brought to churches throughout Lent by churchgoers from across Portsmouth.