We raise £754 at our Cake & Cookbook Sale!
Free Cakes for Kids Sheffield held a fundraising Cake & Cookbook Sale on Saturday 15 February. We raised an incredible £754, which could pay for over 150 birthday cakes for children in Sheffield. A huge thanks, first of all, to everyone who helped us have such an amazing day- whether you came along and bought a cake, a raffle ticket or a book, shared the event on Facebook or Twitter or signed up as a volunteer, gave up your time or baked on the day. We couldn't have done it without you!
The event was a huge success despite the rain and our volunteer bakers were kept very busy running the stalls, raffle and volunteer information stand. In the morning we popped in to speak to Georgey Spanswick on the BBC Radio Sheffield morning show, before we were joined by Andy Kershaw who did a fantastic live broadcast from the library. The University of Sheffield's Forge TV reporters came along too and interviewed guests and volunteers.
At 11.30am, Lord Mayor Vickie Priestly officially launched Free Cakes for Kids Sheffield and opened the event by cutting a beautiful cake made by volunteer Jane Miles. We thought cutting a cake rather than a ribbon would be best for our group of cake bakers!
The raffle prizes included a Hazelnut and Blackberry showstopper Cake (Mel and Sue's favourite!) made by the Great British Bake Off contestant Danny Bryden, a gift voucher for cake-supply shop Make or Bake, a new copy of the Clandestine Cake Club cookbook and a copy of Grandma Abson's great recipe book. Big thanks to Danny, the lovely folks at Make or Bake, volunteer Alison Ryan for the cookbook and Meryl White for Grandma Abson's book. Photo shows Gill and Jon who manned the raffle.
The cake and cookbook stalls were busy all day and visitors bought piles of books and a huge variety of beautiful homemade cakes (banana, coffee, traditional Welsh bara brith), cupcakes (including pink lemonade, sunflowers and butterflies), cookies (oaty, chocolatey and nutty) and traybakes (brownies, lime drizzle and lots more!).
Our younger visitors decorated some beautiful pictures in the colouring competition. The winner will receive a Free Cakes Sheffield cake on her birthday.
Another nine volunteers signed up on the day and following the fantastic coverage on BBC Radio Sheffield and in the Sheffield Star, ten other potential new volunteers have been in touch to sign up as bakers.
The beautiful Free Cakes for Kids aprons were handmade by Alison, who is modelling one in the photograph above. It was a fantastic team effort from all the Free Cakes for Kids Sheffield volunteers and all in all, a brilliant day.
You can see all the photos from the event on the Facebook page (even if you don't have a Facebook account!).
Read the latest press article about Free Cakes for Kids Sheffield which appeared in the Sheffield Star on Saturday.
The Thank-You list:
Lord Mayor Vickie Priestley
Make or Bake
Grandma Abson
Oh Sugar
For All Occasions
Sheffield Central Library (particularly Heather and Karen)
BBC Radio Sheffield, especially Georgey Spanswick and Andy Kershaw
The Sheffield Star (cheers Gael and photographer Dean)
The Sheffield Telegraph (thanks Lesley Draper)
everyone who donated books
all those who baked
all our wonderful volunteers who helped out on the day, loaned equipment, made the room beautiful and brought friends and family along
everyone who came to meet us, signed up as volunteers, buy our cakes and donate their hard earned cash. Cheers.
Group shot with thanks to the Sheffield Star and Dean Atkins.