Free Cakes for Kids UK
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| Founded | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Henriette Lundgren |
| Founded at | Oxford, England |
| Registration no. | Company no.: 9375876 |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Volunteers | ~1,400 |
| Website | freecakesforkids |
Free Cakes for Kids UK is a not-for-profit community service to families, who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake for their child. Cakes are baked by volunteers, who operate in local and independent groups across the country.
History
Free Cakes for Kids UK was founded in 2008 by Henriette Lundgren.[1] Inspired by an article in People Magazine about a similar initiative in the U.S., Lundgren started the first group in Oxford, UK.[2] The idea caught on quickly, and people from all over the country got in touch to learn about the project. Overwhelmed by the number of inquiries, the Oxford group created a dedicated team to support new volunteers and start their own local groups.
Over the following years, the team developed a website to collect, research, and share best practices about everything from food safety, legal questions and media support to organising an annual meeting of all group organizers. By 2014, there were more than 80 Free Cakes for Kids groups in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with hundreds of volunteers and dozens of local partner organisations.[3] After a long period of experimentation, the team found that the project would best be served not as a fully-fledged charity, but as a community of local groups held together by a shared idea, peer support, and mutual accountability.[4]
On 6 January 2015, Free Cakes for Kids was incorporated as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee under English law.[5] The organisation continues to provide support for new and existing groups through its website and the Free Cakes for Kids Cookbook, a shared resource with advice and ideas.[4]
Structure and Organisation
A Free Cakes for Kids group matches two parties: amateur volunteer bakers and families in need. Families contact the local group directly or are referred by a local partner organisation, such as local Food banks, social workers, schools, and charities.
The cakes are baked by volunteers in their home kitchens and are often decorated with the child’s favourite theme. Popular examples are Peppa Pig cakes, rocket-shaped cakes or the ever-popular football cakes.[6] The cakes are free to the family while bakers pay for the ingredients, sometimes with the help of local sponsors. Finally, the baker and the family arrange a handover in a public place that is convenient to both.
In order to start a new group, an interested person first needs to visit the project website and consult the available materials. Especially the so-called ‘Cookbook ‘ contains the collected wisdom and experience of past bakers and community organisers, including practical information about food safety, legal liability, and volunteer management. The future group leader then needs to get in touch with two organisers of existing groups. The organisers will support the newcomer and – once they feel comfortable – provide the two public endorsements that are required to be listed on the website. This process ensures that knowledge gets passed on and that support relationships are being built across the project.[4]
References
- ^ "CAKES FOR KIDS: Sweet charity makes for special birthdays". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "Group cooks up tasty treats for children". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ Hyslop, Leah (2014-05-28). "Free Cakes for Kids: 'Every child deserves a birthday cake'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ a b c "The Free Cakes for Kids Cookbook: Collected Wisdom from a Caring Community". February 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "FREE CAKES FOR KIDS LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "Sheffield charity reveal most popular children's birthday cake requests". The Star. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 2018-08-25.