Wigan schoolboy hopes his Easter egg appeal will put teenagers in a positive light

Harvey Fletcher, 14, is collecting chocolate eggs donated by individuals and businesses, which he will distribute to community groups, nurseries and care homes in Bryn and Ashton in time for Easter.

But the Ashton schoolboy is not just spreading seasonal joy – he also hopes to change people’s opinions of teenagers.

He was inspired by an incident at Cansfield High School on March 3, in which police were called to reports of a male with an offensive weapon and the school went into “lockdown”.

Harvey’s dad, Ashton councillor Danny Fletcher, said: “Harvey was getting the impression there was quite a negative feeling in the area towards teenagers at the time. He is trying to challenge that it’s not all teenagers causing problems, it’s the minority, and most of the kids care about the community.

"He made a Facebook post and I said I would support him. It’s taken off.

"He wants to show a lot of young people care about the community. He saw there were appeals in Manchester and didn’t see one in Ashton-in-Makerfield, so he took the initiative and got started.”

Kind-hearted residents have been busy donating Easter eggs to Harvey’s appeal, with one drop-off point collecting more than 10 in just 24 hours.

They can be taken to Mrs Mac's Sweet Occasions, on Gerard Street, Annie's Crystals and Stones, on Garswood Street, and Anita's Secret Garden, at Bryn Cross.

Donations can be made until Thursday and Harvey will then distribute the eggs to people in the community.

Coun Fletcher said: “He is going to try to get them to as many people as possible.

"As his dad, I’m really proud.

"With my council hat on, it’s good to see young people taking the initiative and being community-minded and community-spirited. I would like to see a lot more young people do things like this and I am hoping this will lead on to other young people doing similar appeals in a ripple effect.

"I know that the vast majority of young people in Ashton and Wigan are good people, they are just tarnished with the same brush sometimes, especially on social media.

"I’m very proud of him.”