A GRAN 'burst into tears' of joy after receiving a donation of 800 Cadbury Creme Eggs to help her bid to raise more than £1,000 for a children’s hospice.

Jackie Gibson, from Leigh, has knitted 1,300 chicks and wanted to fill each one with a chocolate treat before selling them as Easter gifts for £1 in aid of Derian House Children’s Hospice.

She wrote to the Rotary Club of Leigh for help and was 'eggstatic' by the generous response.

Jackie said: “The offer I got from the club made me burst into tears. I sent them a sample and they must have been happy with it.

“The chicks are now going out and flying the nest.

"Luckily I don’t like eating the chocolate eggs."

Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco have also donated Cadbury Creme Eggs to ensure she has enough to fill all her handmade chicks.

She will be selling the chicks at the Ikea shop in Warrington on the weekend of April 1 and 2.

They will also be available to buy at TDM Exclusive Hair and The Lilac Lounge Cafe in Leigh.

Jackie uses her knitting skills to raise money for Chorley's Derian House Children’s Hospice every Easter and Christmas.

She has knitted everything from Santa hats and Christmas puddings to cuddle cushions and is hoping to amass a record sum with her chocolate treat chicks.

Jackie said: “Derian House is a wonderful charity and a wonderful place. They do so much and work so hard with their own fundraising.

“Taking the cheques to them after Easter and Christmas is the most rewarding part of the work.

“I knit in the bar, on buses and trains. One of my grandsons once tricked me into watching a film at the cinema with him that I wasn’t interested in and said ‘you don’t have to watch the film, you can knit your chicks with your eyes closed’.

“I meet some really lovely people who see what I am doing and buy them even if they are not finished.

“I get a lot of pleasure from the people I meet and the kindness they show me by donating wool, ribbon and other materials."

The Rotary Club of Leigh says it was happy to adhere to Jackie's unusual request for chocolate eggs.

Club president David Jones said: “We were really ‘eggcited’ about this request as we could see that the amount we spent on the chocolate eggs would be trebled in value when the chicks are sold for £1 each, providing a significant donation to Derian House.

“All the credit should go to Jackie for her initiative and hard work.”