The countdown to the world's biggest egg hunt begins

Action for Children supporters including celebrities turned out in force last night (Wednesday 18 January) to countdown to The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. The world's biggest Easter egg hunt is set to take place from 21^st February, raising money for Action for Children and Elephant Family.

The event, hosted by Sarah Fabergé, Action for Children Chief Executive Dame Clare Tickell and Mark Shand, founder of Elephant Family saw celebrity guests including Holly Valance, James Caan and Bianca Jagger, enjoy live painting of the eggs and meeting some of the artists behind the beautiful giant egg creations.

Attending the event, Holly Valance commented: "I am a big kid at heart, and I can't wait to see all these beautiful eggs go up around London and take part in the hunt! It is really special knowing that thousands of families will get a chance to take part, help to break a world record, and that all the money is going to two fantastic causes - Elephant Family and Action for Children."

The hunt begins

From Shrove Tuesday, 21 February, members of the public will be able to hunt down the strategically placed, giant eggs all across the capital. The eggs are currently being exclusively designed, bejewelled and decorated by some of the world's leading artists, architects, jewellers and designers including the Chapman Brothers, Marc Quinn, Zandra Rhodes, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rob Ryan, William Curley, Bompas and Parr and Polly Morgan.

The event is set to smash two Guinness World Records for the most participants in an Easter egg hunt.

The 200 customised eggs, which are destined to become highly collectible works of art, will be available to buy at auction, with proceeds going to Action for Children and Elephant Family.

Additionally, the world's most expensive chocolate egg will be created for the project by William Curley.

For a good cause

'The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt' seeks to raise up to £2 million for leading children's charity Action for Children and the Elephant Family - the UK's biggest funder for the endangered Asian elephant.

Action for Children's Chief Executive, DameClare Tickell, said: "The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt is a ground-breaking and exciting way to get London and all its visitors involved in raising awareness and crucial funds for the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people and families across the UK. It's particularly heartening to know that the money will have been raised thanks to an event which will be hugely enjoyable for the thousands of children and families who will be taking part."

Elephant Family Director, Ruth Powys, said: "From the charity that brought you Elephant Parade, we give you, in partnership with Action for Children, The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. It's about time to have some fun again. Forget about your worries - for 40 days and 40 nights we're going to put a smile on your faces and brighten up our great capital city. Like everybody, charities are up against it and you need to think out of the box, so welcome to another fun and vital initiative to protect our children and the endangered animals that share their world".

Sarah Fabergé, great granddaughter Peter Carl Fabergé and Special Projects Director at Fabergé said: "Eggs have become synonymous with Fabergé and it is almost impossible to think of one without the other! The egg is symbolic to so many nations and cultures representing new life and rebirth. We at Fabergé have recently undergone a rebirth ourselves opening our first boutique in London after an absence of more than 90 years! How could we not become involved in a big egg hunt taking place right on our doorstep in support of these two wonderful charities, Action for Children and Elephant Family whose tireless work involves nurturing young people and the animals that share our planet?"