Grandad spreads cheer in community after taking to the streets in Easter Bunny costume

Alan Millward, 64, from Hedworth Estate, spent two days walking around the streets near his home, handing out Easter eggs and sweets to youngsters as a special surprise.

The grandad used a costume which he originally acquired for a very different purpose – and it just so happened to fit the bill.

“There are two mascot costumes I bought when I ran the football at Monkton Stadium about 20 years ago,” he told the Gazette.

“We used to use them for the cup finals – there is a rabbit and a lion.”

Alan’s next door neighbour Joanne Elliott suggested he contact the Hedworth, Fellgate and Calf Close Food Bank and offer to help them during this time of crisis.

The foodbank had just received a donation of Easter eggs from Morrisons and agreed to allow parents to request a visit.

With help from Joanne and neighbour Mick Dejonge, Alan spent all of Easter Sunday afternoon delivering eggs around the estate.

Then, after running out of eggs, the group visited a local shop, which also donated sweets, as well as using some of their own money to buy more treats.

Alan was out and about again on Easter Monday – April 13 – covering areas of the estate he had missed earlier, to make sure as many people as possible had a happy Easter.

“I forgot about Calf Close,” he admitted. “I felt a bit guilty, so I went to Tesco and they gave me about another 30 eggs. We went out for about three-and-a-half hours.”

Easter Bunny Alan was delighted with the reaction from the children while on his walks.

“It was great,” he said. “The reaction from them was absolutely brilliant – they just wanted to have a nice visit from the Easter Bunny.”

It had been a morale boost for the youngsters who were having to cope with the coronavirus lockdown, said Alan: “It just lifted everybody,” he added.

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