A WALLYFORD family brought some Hallowe’en fun to the village amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Emma Armstrong, 36, wanted to do something in the community within coronavirus guidelines and, with support from local businesses, organised a pumpkin-spotting initiative.

With help from her eight-year-old daughter Ellia, sisters Amy and Lauren Wilson, mum Marie Hall, and two-year-old niece and seven-year-old nephew Imogen and Zak Maclean, they rewarded children who had carved pumpkin lanterns, seen at local houses.

In all, 400 treat packs, full of sweets, were left at doors as the family walked round the area pumpkin spotting.

Emma said: “It’s been such a tough year on everyone but I feel especially for the children. I wanted to do something in the community, keeping within the current guidelines.

“I decided to do an appeal to local businesses in the Wallyford area on Facebook to coincide with the idea of pumpkin spotting and rewarding the children with a treat for all the pumpkins they spot on a leisurely walk round the area.

“The idea was to give rather than receive and there are so many children who may not be able to go spotting due to parents who possibly suffer with anxiety or have to shield. I wanted my daughter and nephew to understand the values of giving.”

She added: “The idea was for every pumpkin we spotted in a window, we would leave a treat pack on the doorstep, with no contact made by chapping doors. We just looked for them and, for every pumpkin displayed in the window, we left a treat pack and went.”

Emma paid tribute to the three companies who sponsored the treat packs – Craig Bonthron at CB Joinery, David and Tracy Robertson of Mortgages by Prospero, and Paulina and Gee Szczecina at Lothian Restorations.

She said: “Their kindness and willingness to give back to the community has allowed us to prepare 400 treat packs for distribution round the area. My family backed my idea 100 per cent, helping to prepare the packs and with distribution. A few mutual friends loved the idea and they have arranged to do something in their area also.

“Full PPE was worn whilst making the packs and all sweets bought were individually wrapped for as little contact as possible.”

She added: “The event went very well and we had a lot of happy children. We couldn’t believe the effort people went to decorating their houses this year – impressed was an understatement.”