Hundreds of scooter riders polished up their mirrors – grabbed an Easter egg – and headed off through Norwich yesterday to cheer up youngsters being treated at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The annual Easter egg run, organised by the Norwich Scooter Collective, was the biggest yet as about 400 riders along with dozens of motorists in VW camper vans and Beetles made the trip from the Open Academy in Heartsease to the Colney hospital.

It was also the group's most successful year in terms of fundraising as it handed over a cheque for more than �5,000 to East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH).

Having set off at about 11.15am, it took the group about 45 minutes to make the trip through Mousehold, up Prince of Wales Road, through the city past the Theatre Royal, and along Earlham Road.

Ahead of the journey Lisa Kidd, who organises the event along with husband Jez Kidd, John Frary and Joy Frary, said people would be out along the route to wave at the spectacle as it passed.

She said: 'It's so big now, people expect it to happen and they wait on the sides of the roads.'

Each rider brought an Easter egg with them and they were handed over to the Jenny Lind ward and, for those children well enough to greet the cavalcade, straight to the youngsters who would get to enjoy them. So many eggs are delivered that children visiting their families at the hospital over the Easter period will also be given one.

Mrs Kidd said: 'It's all for the kids. There's nothing in it for us.

'The buzz of seeing their faces when we arrive is fantastic. They're thinking 'they've come here for us, all these people have come here to see us to bring us a little present'.'

The event began four years ago with just 100 scooters and has quickly grown to four times that size, with the VW drivers taking part for the first time this year.

The Easter egg run marks the culmination of months' of fundraising by the Norwich Scooter Collective. Before starting their ride through the city, the scooterists handed over a cheque for more than �5,000 to Jessica Hissocks, EACH's Norfolk fundraiser based at Quidenham Children's Hospice.

Mr Frary, who helped organise the first Easter egg run in 2009, said: 'It all started because one of the guys in the scooter club had a daughter who was in Quidenham. We're all at that age now where we've all got kids so it just seems appropriate.'

EACH said the money would make a big difference to the young people staying at the Quidenham hospice and was the equivalent of 140 music therapy sessions for youngsters, costing �36 each.

Jessica Hissocks, Norfolk fundraiser, said: 'It's absolutely incredible. That means so much to us, especially in difficult economic times. It really puts a smile on your face.'

Are you raising money for charity? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk.