Cracking Easter activities planned for Newbury

Easter craft workshops and a two-week Easter egg hunt are part of an egg-citing EasterFest in Newbury this April.

Newbury Business Improvement District (BID) and local charity Swings & Smiles have joined forces to ensure the Easter Bunny hops its way into Newbury this Easter.

The partnership will deliver Easter Craft Workshops and a cracking two-week Easter Egg Hunt, with festivities taking place from Saturday, April 9, to Sunday, April 24.

Eight eggs, decorated and donated by local pottery painting coffee house, The Ugly Duckling, will be hidden in the windows of eight independently-owned businesses on Newbury’s Bartholomew Street.

Participants must find the eggs and complete a trail sheet as they go, colouring in eggs on the sheet to match those displayed in the windows.

Trail sheets are available to download online for a £2 donation and all proceeds go to the co-organisers of the event, Thatcham-based charity Swings & Smiles.

You can purchase your trail sheet and find out more information about the event and the charity at www.visitnewbury.org.uk/events/newbury-easter-egg-hunt/.

Participants must return their completed trail sheets to Swings & Smiles or The Ugly Duckling by April 27 to be in with a chance of winning prizes, including £50 vouchers for The Entertainer and Hotel Chocolat, a Nando’s family meal voucher and Vue Family Cinema tickets.

Additionally, on April 11 to 13, local families and children are invited to get creative at one of three Easter Egg Craft Workshops hosted by Swings & Smiles in the Mint Velvet unit at Parkway Shopping.

Tickets are £5 per family and costs include all arts and crafts to make and take home.

There is no need to book; just turn up between the opening hours of 10am and 2pm to secure your spot.

Alison Drummond, Newbury BID’s operations manager, said: “Swings & Smiles is a fabulous charity whose core aim is to help improve the lives of local families who need that extra support.

“We’re delighted to be collaborating with them to put on yet more exciting activities for Newbury town centre, while only asking for a small donation from participants to help go towards an extremely worthwhile local cause.”

Swings & Smiles fundraising and volunteer co-ordinator Jo Ramsay said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Newbury BID to deliver these community-focused town centre festivities.

“We hope this is just the start of many partnership workshops and collaborative events we can deliver to raise awareness of Swings & Smiles while helping to contribute towards a full programme of activities for local residents and families to do in the area.”