A CHOCOLATIER helped raise thousands of pounds for a local children’s cancer charity — along with some famous faces.

Slattery in Whitefield handcrafted delicious Easter eggs which were raffled off in and around Greater Manchester to raise money for Friends of Rosie, which funds research into the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer.

From the cast and crew of Coronation Street — including Alison King, who plays Carla Connor — to the children and parents of Kids Allowed nurseries, the charity Easter eggs raised more than £3,000.

An additional, £100 was also raised from the proceeds of charity Easter eggs sold in Slattery’s Whitefield store in the run up to Easter.

The proceeds from the raffles will help to fund vital childhood cancer research projects undertaken by Manchester medical and scientific institutions, such as the University of Manchester, the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and The Christie.

Friends of Rosie trustee Lisa Larkin said: “The Easter egg raffles have been a great way to celebrate our 25th anniversary this Easter and the money raised will make a real difference to the research projects we fund.

“The key to curing childhood cancer is research and it’s a sad but true fact that children’s cancer research is massively underfunded. We can’t thank our supporters enough for the donations they have made and the contribution they continue to make, in particular John Slattery and his team at Slattery in Whitefield.”