We’ve all heard of Secret Santa but there’s now another super hero character this Easter who has been single handily delivering hundreds of eggs to deserving causes.
An eggstrodinary amount of Easter eggs have been donated to a Masonic motorcycle association for distribution to children throughout the North East. Normally at Easter, the Northumbria Chapter of the Widows Son’s Masonic Bikers Association would travel on their motorcycles to a number of special schools, food banks, care homes, veterans’ charities and youth centres across North Tyneside, Newcastle, Northumberland and County Durham delivering more than 1000 Easter eggs.
The eggs have been donated by generous supermarkets, businesses and kind-hearted individual freemasons and masonic lodges from the Province of Northumberland. This year however, with the Coronavirus, alternative ways of delivery have had to be looked at so that the community doesn’t miss out.
Widows Sons Secretary, Tom Stewart has taken it upon himself to personally deliver each and every egg.
“It’s been difficult as I’ve had to ensure everyone is safe and that I follow government instructions on social distancing. It’s been a case of ringing up in advance, arranging a safe place to put the eggs and then leaving without any contact. I’m really grateful for the help we’ve been given by so many businesses but particular thanks must go to Morrisons and Tesco who have went the extra mile.”
Tom has also taken to carrying a few eggs with him on his daily exercise walk from his home near Morpeth.
“I’ve been leaving anonymous eggs on the doorsteps of houses I see on my walk where the kids have put their NHS Rainbows drawings in their widows. It’s nice to do something positive during the crisis we are all facing.”
The Widows Sons is open to all Freemasons who enjoy the sport of motorcycling and throughout the year they help to raise awareness of the work of the organisation as well as raising much needed funds for charity themselves.
So far donations have been made to or will be delivered to:
Alnwick: Hadston House Youth Project
SE Northumberland: Scarborough Court Care Home, Cramlington, Briardale House Blyth, Dales Special School Blyth, Community Volunteers
Newbiggin by the Sea: Ashington Cleaswell Hill School Ashington, Age UK
Tyneside & Newcastle: Percy Hedley Foundation; Charles Parsons School Walker, St Oswald’s Hospice
Morpeth: Wansbeck Valley Food Bank, Morpeth Churches free school meals. Tritlington School, Grange View School Widdrington, Amble and Widdrington Brownies.
Tom is appearing on BBC Radio Newcastle on Easter Sunday at around 10.10am so tune in if you are able to.