Free Cakes For Kids #1: Free Cakes For Kids UK (Cambs West, Peterborough & Bedford)

Here I am, Just joining CakesDecor and I wanted to share with you all where my passion for cake decorating has really grown wild from.
I am the founder and volunteer co-ordinator for one of the largest Free Cakes For Kids groups here in the UK. I was looking at a way to give my time and skills to the local community and heard about the network on a forum I was on. So January 2014 saw me trying to find a local group, and when there wasn’t one about I set one up.
The network of Free Cakes For Kids was started back in 2008 by a lady called Henriette Lundgren in her local community, after she read about a similar project running in the U.S. Since then it has steadily grown and there has been help provided to support more local community groups. There are now more than 80 groups running across the UK, supporting their own local communities by providing as many Free Cakes For Kids as they can. All the groups are responsible for their own activities, but through the network they are able to gain support and advice from others ensuring the key values of safety, confidentiality and community spirit stay alive!
So what is it all about?
Well believe it or not there are 1000’s of children in the UK (and probably the same worldwide too) that are going without a cake to celebrate their birthdays or other occasions, and not out of choice either!
I have bakers of all abilities who bake with me to make a difference for these children and young people, we bake for free, yes free!
We are here to bake for children and young people who are perhaps homeless, living in poverty, are the siblings (or themselves) of disabled children, or maybe their parents have disabilities or are ill… and many many more reason’s besides!
Yes there are children out there in the UK today that meet our criteria and we work closely with both statutory organisations (like schools and health workers) as well as other charities (like food banks and shelters). The children we bake for include young adults, and I was touched when I got the feedback once that an 18th birthday cake was the 1st ever cake he had had! I just can’t imagine reaching 18 years old never to have had a birthday cake, can you?

So many people have asked me….
“Why birthday cakes?”
and…
“What difference does it make?”
My answer is always the same….
“Almost everyone loves a cake, but birthday cakes are something special.
A single cake can make a huge difference to a child. Especially one which has been made just for them! One which nobody else will ever have. It makes them feel special and appreciated.
They have something to share with their friends and family and creates a party! A birthday cake provides a child with the opportunity to have a special birthday cake smile!”

So I suppose I am beginning this blog series to share with you some of the up’s and down’s that providing this service brings. The highs of the joy of helping make a difference, to the lows of the stories behind the referrals.
Each time i hear the difference we are making the more I want to do.

A recent cake I delivered was for a little girl who’s parents were both working full time, but they were struggling to even pay the bills. Never mind buy a luxury like a birthday cake! They had been relying on the food bank to feed her and her twin brothers and needed our support. One of my bakers make her the cake of her dreams apparently! Her mum said she was able to let her daughter have a party, it was a picnic in the park. Just a bottle of dilute squash drink and the cake we had made for her. This was all she got for her birthday, but it meant she could celebrate with her friends.

Another was for a young man about to turn 13, he had lost his mum to cancer just 2 weeks before his birthday. He had never known his father and his mum was a care leaver so she didn’t have any known family to share with him. He had lost everything and was supposed to be having a “Happy Birthday”, but how could he? The school were worried about him, as he had been put into emergency care away from his friends, but they had managed to get him taxi’d to his school every day … Could we please help? they asked …. so I set to work, what do you make for a child who you know will not be feeling happy on their birthday? But something that may just bring a smile to their face? Even if just for a second!
I made him this….. (inspired by a Debbie Brown cake I had seen)

So folks,
If I have grabbed your attention …..
please keep an eye for for the next story!
We are getting so busy … so I am sure I will have many many more to tell!

If you would like to know more about my groups then please visit:
“:http://www.freecakesforkidsstneotsandhuntingdon.co.uk/
or if you want to see if there is a group that bakes near you then please go to:
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