An eggs-tra special gift

The 11-year-old won a giant 6.9kg Easter egg in a guess the weight of the egg competition, at Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe, in Blackpool’s Houndshill Shopping Centre.

Part of the contest involved the winner nominating a charity of their choice, for a second giant chocolate egg to be donated to.

Cardinal Allen pupil Ella – who had guessed a very close 7kg for the egg’s weight – requested the prize be given to the staff at Brian House Children’s Hospice, in Bispham, for their hard work and dedication looking after local families.

Ella and her mum Sarah visited Brian House, with representatives from the Houndshill, to hand the egg over to the staff and find out more about the work they do – helping youngsters with life-limiting disabilities and illnesses.

Sarah said: “Ella couldn’t believe it when she won, her mouth just dropped open. She’s going to share the egg with the rest of the family and her friends. It’s huge.

“Ella said she knew she wanted it to be donated to a local charity, so I gave her a list of local charities to give her some ideas.

“She chose Brian House because the staff look after local children. The staff took the time to show us round Brian House and what they do. It was lovely and it makes you feel very humbled.”

Ella said: “I wanted the Easter egg to go to a local charity and the staff at Brian House work very hard.

“They were really pleased. When I visited them and they showed us round, I thought it was amazing.”

Mina Scott, marketing coordinator with the Houndshill Centre, said: “We were delighted Ella picked Brian House to receive the second egg. It’s fantastic she thought of the staff and thought it would be nice to give them a treat.

“Meeting the staff and seeing Brian House was wonderful, they were so lovely. It’s an amazing and homely place.”