Free Cakes for Kids, Hackney turns one
Free Cakes For Kids Hackney is a local group run entirely by volunteers providing free birthday cakes to children who might not otherwise receive them. They recently turned one and have baked over 50 cakes for local kids. Here is Tessa Lidstone FCFK Hackney baker to tell us more..
Why did you start Free Cakes for Kids?
Sophie and Jules heard about the idea from a friend of theirs who bakes for the Free Cakes for Kids Cardiff group and were particularly taken with the idea. After a year of umming and ahhing they decided to go for it, always with the goal to help make many children’s birthdays special with a free cake in mind.
Who is behind it?
Sophie (Howes) and Jules (Clarke) run the organisation, backed by a 30-strong team of bakers. They recently decided they wanted to grow the organisation where possible, so reached out to the bakers to see if there may be ways they could help. I was one of the bakers who answered the call! Since then we have put in place a committee which has enabled us to celebrate the organisation’s first birthday party and recognise our bakers efforts, create and launch a website, Facebook page and twitter account, develop our fundraising potential and open ourselves up to a greater number of organisations – like Children’s Centres – to potentially bake more cakes for more kids. It is entirely run by volunteers.
How do people get involved?
People can get involved with the organisation on a number of levels. Families in need of cakes, or professionals who work with children and families in Hackney who might be in need of a free cake, can contact us. A request is then sent to our bakers and one of us responds. Alternatively people can sign up to be bakers with us or offer their services in other ways, for example delivering cakes for bakers. And donations are more than welcome too. Until Christmas all money donated to Free Cakes for Kids Hackney up to £10 is being match funded through Local Giving. Donations can be made here: http://
Why Hackney?
Hackney is where Sophie and Jules lived when they set up the organisation. Sophie still lives in Hackney and Jules now lives in Wood Green, but her heart is very much still in Hackney. They both felt at the time – and still believe – that Hackney is a special place. As one of the poorest boroughs in the country there are many families who don’t have the money, time or resources to provide their child with a birthday cake. There is also an ever-growing population of artists, philanthropists and cake lovers and Sophie and Jules felt that they could bring these groups together under the banner of FCFK Hackney to help the many families in need.
What is your favourite cake?
All our cakes are amazing as they’re made specifically to order and we take into account every child’s individual interests and tastes. A great recent example of a pretty spectacular cake is a transformers cake which is so inventive, realistic and fun and gained its baker our “Cake of the Month” award for October.
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Free Cakes for Kids Hackney has proudly welcomed MasterChef 2013 winner Natalie Coleman http://nataliecolemanchef.co.uk/ as their patron.
Natalie, who describes herself as “the girl from Hackney that did good,” was born in the borough. Though she grew up in Chingford, Essex, Natalie has always kept close ties to Hackney where her grandad – a big part of her life – lives, and moved back when she was 18, which is when her cooking really began to take off.
Natalie’s strong ties to the borough; her love of food and cooking; and her down-to-earth nature made her the perfect candidate to team up with FCFK Hackney, and the organisation was “thrilled” when she accepted their patronage request.