A heartwarming Easter egg appeal in Cheltenham has reached unprecedented heights this year, delivering more than 1,600 Easter eggs to children facing hardship across the community.
The campaign began five years ago with Dave Bath’s Christmas Selection Box Appeal, a project aimed at supporting local families during the festive season. Encouraged by a friend who offered a donation of Easter eggs, Dave expanded his efforts to include an Easter egg appeal, which has flourished ever since.
This year’s remarkable growth is largely thanks to the partnership with the Cheltenham Round Table, alongside significant support from local businesses such as the Cheltenham Trust, Inserco Industrial Controls, and the Cheltenham Lions Club. For the first time, the campaign also introduced a GoFundMe page, which has helped boost donations substantially.
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From just 100 Easter eggs in its inaugural year, the campaign has multiplied to an overwhelming 1,600 eggs this Easter. Dave, alongside his friends Marisa Regan and Gary Goodhall, credits this surge in support for making it the appeal’s most successful year yet.
“The generosity we’ve seen is incredible,” says Dave. “When someone donated £400 on GoFundMe, it moved me to tears. Every single egg means a child’s smile and a bit of happiness.”
The Cheltenham Round Table, a social and charitable group of young men aged 18-45 with roots dating back to the 1940s, has played a pivotal role in this success. Ross Beamish, the group’s chairman, proudly notes that the Round Table alone donated 340 eggs this year, a number symbolically tied to their club size, with additional donations collected from local shops and community members.
Ross expressed his hope that the appeal will become an enduring tradition for both the Round Table and the Cheltenham community, praising Dave’s kindness and commitment.
Both Dave and Ross are grateful for the immense community backing but emphasize the need for more volunteers to keep the campaign thriving.
“To everyone who has supported us, including shop managers and community champions—thank you,” says Dave. “It truly is ‘good to be good.’”