The Easter Bunny is looking for donations ahead of its visit to care homes, day centres and children with additional needs.

The visits are organised annually by Lee Rollo Stewart, funeral director at Tranent Co-op Funeralcare, who has set up an Easter egg appeal for donations to be handed out.

Lee said she was looking forward to running the event again, after starting it in 2020 during lockdown.

She said: “We’ve done this for four years now and every year is a great experience. We started it at the start of lockdown to lift people’s moods and the reaction we got from everyone was incredible.

“People are always so generous. One year we had over 2,000 eggs, so many that we actually had too many!

“The people at the care homes and all the children love the bunny’s visits. They interact with it like it is a real-life Easter Bunny and I think it truly brightens their day.”

Lee also helps to run a Christmas hamper appeal for local heroes every December, which ran again at the end of last year.

She admitted that she hoped these initiatives could continue to run long into the future.

She said: “We want this to continue for as long as possible and we would be really grateful for any donations people could make.

“We’re looking mostly for eggs or Easter-related food like Easter chocolates or sweets. Anything Easter-themed is perfect.

“We know people are always happy to help and we are really grateful, especially during these difficult times financially.

“But in many ways this is why this year’s delivery is so important. I think it’s important to give people something to smile about.”

A date for delivery has not yet been set but Easter egg donations can be made at Co-op Funeralcare in Tranent, or to the Co-op food stores in Haddington, Tranent, Ormiston and Dunbar.

Lee said: “If you can make a donation, no matter how small, it would be greatly appreciated.

“We want to give people the best Easter possible this year.”