Staff at Lubrizol have helped the highly active Full House Estate Community Group dish out Easter eggs to children living in the Tennyson Road area of Monk Bretton.
The chemistry company’s staff donated a big pile of Easter eggs – around two per employee - so that the community group could hand them out to families in the area, some of whom are experiencing financial struggles brought on by the current economic climate.
Maggie Wood, one of the leaders of the group which runs from her café – Maggie’s Coffee Shop on Tennyson Road - has been getting into the spirit of the season, dressing up as the Easter bunny in order to pounce on unsuspecting families and present children with a chocolate egg provided by Lubrizol.
Lubrizol’s donation was arranged by the company’s former employee – Alison Young – who has been involved in running the community group for several years.
She explained that the idea for the group was formed in order to provide a sense of cohesion and community in an area which does not have much in the way of communal amenities, and nothing for children or young people.
The group holds regular raffles and jumble sales to make money that is then used to benefit the local community.
Alison said: “There is nothing for kids here, there are no groups or anything for them now,” she said. “Some families living here have got lots of children and life can be a struggle.
“I was overwhelmed when Lubrizol offered to help us and so delighted they were so generous with buying Easter eggs for us this year. An Easter egg may be small but the faces of children and their parents who have received one when they have come to Maggie’s Coffee shop have lit up – they have been delighted. Thank you so much to Lubrizol for helping us out this Easter, it has been very much appreciated!”
Nathanael Tinker, who works as an analyst at Lubrizol, said: “I was happy to learn that our very own Alison Young, pioneer of charity work at the Barnsley site, worked in the local community in her own time. After she had retired, I was eager to make the connection to Fullhouse Estate Community Group through Alison for Easter to help support the great work that they do, and help bring some Easter joy to children in the area.
"I could not have been more pleased to count up 64 eggs from our site, knowing how many children would be excited to receive one! I can only hope to continue this Easter Egg collection next year with just as much success!"