Clacton RNLI’s Easter Egg appeal is now underway. With Easter fast approaching, the annual Easter egg and present appeal, now in its eighth year, has been launched this week. The Easter appeal is the brain child of Tim Sutton (volunteer Helmsman at Clacton RNLI), who from personal experience with his daughter Amy, knows how miserable it can be over the holiday period for children away from home in hospital, despite the excellent care and compassion of staff. With a mantra of ‘one gift equals one smile’, and over 10,000 items delivered in the last eight years between the Christmas and Easter appeals, that’s 10,000 smiles so far. The appeal will culminate on 24 March, hopefully with a 300 mile road trip for Mr Sutton and fellow volunteers from Clacton-on-Sea RNLI, including RNLI mascot Stormy Stan, taking in the three counties of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. The team usually visit 10 establishments caring for children with the items donated. A care package of gifts is often sent to Gt Ormond St Hospital too. Tim Sutton said: ‘Every year the response to the Easter and Christmas appeal from the local community is truly overwhelming, and just seems to get bigger and bigger each time. The last Christmas appeal truly blew me away with the generosity of the local community, which resulted in over 2000 items being delivered.’ Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can leave gifts at the Town Hall (station Road) or the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Hastings Avenue (6.30pm-9pm Wednesdays and 9.30am to 12.30pm Sundays). Tim Sutton is also willing to collect locally if you are unable to drop off and can be contacted via the RNLI Clacton Lifeboat Facebook page. 21st March is the last Collections/Drop offs