We launch our Easter egg appeal to spread a little joy to thousands of children in Northamptonshire

On April 21, millions of children and young people around the country will experience the joy of opening at least one Easter egg.

But here in Northamptonshire, some 5,000 youngsters from disadvantaged families will not - unless we club together to do something about it.

That is why the Chronicle and Echo has teamed up with the county's social services in the hope of spreading a little joy this April.

We are calling on you, our readers, to donate Easter eggs via our drop-off point in The Mounts in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend.

Each one collected will be distributed to a young person who would otherwise not get one via the county council's social services team.

Retired social worker Jeanette Walsh, who is co-ordinating the appeal on our behalf, is hoping we can emulate the success of our Christmas appeal.

She said: "An Easter egg may not seem a lot, but just that little bit of chocolate can show someone that you care.

"I would like to think that each of the young people that we work with will get an egg this year. And if, by luck, we end up with more we will give them two."

Back in December, generous Chron readers donated some 2,000 toys to our Christmas appeal, prompting hundreds of families living on the breadline to write heartfelt thank you letters.

The appeal was so successful, we thought we would get cracking on another one.

You can drop your eggs off at The Good Loaf in Overstone Road, The Mounts before Friday, April 5.

We will then collect all of your donations and take them to be sorted at the Northamptonshire County Council offices at One Angel Square in the town centre.

From there a team of social workers will deliver them to the families most at need in our county.

The eggs will also go to children in care homes, foster homes and those on the at-risk register - plus those who have just left a care setting and are starting out life on their own.