Many families across the island will spend the long Easter weekend enjoying egg hunts and celebrations with their children – but a local charity has warned that some parents are struggling to afford even a single Easter egg.
It comes after an anonymous Facebook post asked whether any organisations are donating Easter eggs to families in need this year.
The islander wrote: “I’m barely making it through each week buying normal food and horrified at the price hikes on the eggs.”
They added that just three years ago, they could afford three or four eggs for each of their children, but now are “choosing between heat and the Easter bunny”.
Yvonne Corbin, chief executive of local food and nutrition charity Caring Cooks, said she felt compelled to act when she saw the post.
“Normally, Caring Cooks has a referral service that comes through other charities or a school, parish or other arms-length services,” she explained.
“But when I saw that post, I thought I could help on a personal level, so I responded saying please contact me.”
Ms Corbin said she provided the individual with food vouchers that could be used at the Co-op, as well as towards electricity costs.
But she noted that the case was not isolated: “I did have more than one person contact me saying they were in the same boat.”
In response, she also provided others with Easter eggs “just to see them through”.
Drawing on her own childhood experiences, Ms Corbin said she understands how important it is to support families facing hardship.
Meanwhile, the Jersey Consumer Council has highlighted that Easter eggs in the UK are becoming more expensive while often shrinking in size.
But Ms Corbin said that “regardless of how much value you are getting for that Easter egg”, there are people who “people who cannot afford the Easter egg in the first place”.
She added that her charity has seen “more referrals coming through” from people “who literally have nowhere else to turn” over the “last three years”.