00:00 Cost free Easter joy as Herne Bay weathers the cost of living crisis.
00:05 This part of the Canterbury coast has some of the highest deprivation rates in the area,
00:09 meaning many are struggling to celebrate the bank holiday weekend.
00:13 That's why Myers Community Support Centre have been giving away 2,000 Easter eggs to
00:17 families in need throughout the day.
00:21 When people talk about food bank they think it's only food, tins, rice and pasta, they
00:24 don't realise washing up liquid, washing powder, toothpaste, shampoo, Easter eggs, black sacks,
00:31 everything.
00:32 When you don't have money it's not only food, you don't have money for anything, including
00:36 the Easter eggs and why kids have to pay the cost of living crisis.
00:40 It's not over, people are really, really still suffering.
00:43 They have run out of all lines of credit and every week is a struggle, so things like this
00:48 are brilliant.
00:49 For me it brings back more of a traditional vibe, like people are here for each other,
00:52 we all know what Easter, a lot of people celebrate Easter and a lot of people celebrate it just
00:57 to get together with their families, but this brings people together.
01:00 You often see at these events people that become quite overcome with emotion because
01:04 all of a sudden they can do something for their family they didn't think they could
01:07 do.
01:08 They would have been fighting about Easter for months thinking how am I going to afford
01:11 this, how am I going to do that, how am I going to make it special for my family.
01:14 And to come to somewhere where you don't need any money, this isn't about money, this is
01:17 about helping people, this is about giving something back to the community and allowing
01:22 everyone to celebrate the effect it has.
01:25 The cost of Easter eggs is on the rise.
01:28 Chocolate has increased by nearly 30% in terms of price over the last year, bringing some
01:34 eggs are decreasing in size, from a size like this one to a size much smaller.
01:40 This is a process known as shrinkflation where you're getting less bang for your buck paying
01:45 the same prices for a much smaller product.
01:49 For the families here, these rising prices for less chocolate have priced them out.
01:54 They used to be like 95p and they were this big, now they're this big and they're £1.50.
02:01 With all the bills being more it's then harder to get the nicer things because you're making
02:05 sure the bills are paid.
02:06 Me personally I refuse to buy any for my kids this year because of the price that they are.
02:11 I've brought them like some chocolate bars and that's all they're getting this year.
02:14 When he got given the Easter egg he was so happy, he didn't just think non-verbal, so
02:21 to him that means a lot to him.
02:23 The crowds may be dying down here in the plaza but earlier today there were hundreds of people
02:29 scrambling to get an egg ahead of the Easter weekend.
02:33 But the one thing that isn't dying down is the cost of living crisis and if it continues
02:39 it will continue to hit people here in Herne Bay the hardest.
02:43 Oliver Leeds at SACHS reporting for KMTV.
02:46 Happy Easter!
02:47 - Yeah! - Happy New Year!
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