‘Every child deserves a cake’
Baker Andrea Kechiche, 46, from Bromley, Kent, couldn’t turn away when she heard of local children who wouldn’t have a birthday treat.
‘Baking a cake for a four-yearold who loves cars is pretty straightforward. Making one for a 16-year-old who I’d only been told likes iphones is trickier. Especially when the child is a total stranger. But I’m pleased to say the iphone cake, with its edible icons and silver glitter, turned out to be one of my best yet!
I’ve made all sorts in the three years since I joined my local branch of Free Cakes for Kids, a national network of mostly mums who make birthday cakes for children who wouldn’t otherwise get one. When I heard about the charity, I was shocked. I was used to baking cakes for my children, Sara, now 10, and Sami, seven, and couldn’t believe there were families living just a few streets from me who weren’t able to do the same.
I feel that every child should have a birthday cake. Perhaps that came from my experience with Sara, who was born with a condition that makes her allergic to wheat, eggs, dairy and nuts. While we had to be careful, I also didn’t want her to miss out, so learned how to cook everything, including cakes, in a way that she could eat.
Our group has around 40 members, all answering requests from our coordinator for cakes. The pleas generally come from charities or social workers who know the families. We’re told the child’s first name, what they like (or don’t like) and their age. Armed with that basic information, we have to whip up a cake that you hope will bring a smile to their face. We take the cakes to a community centre, and some mums have even sent me pictures of their child getting the cake, which I treasure.
A HOBBY THAT HELPS
I make around one a month. Recent bakes include a car cake, another for a judo fan, and a Star Wars cake. I especially like making cakes for kids with allergies so they don’t miss out. I think, “If Sara can have a cake with her allergies, these children should have one too!” Making the cakes has given me confidence with my baking. Something may seem impossible when you first get the brief, but there’s always a way of pulling it off.
Sometimes my children help me with the mixing, and we talk about who we’re making the cake for. They often come with me to deliver them, too. It’s important they know how lucky they are.
For me, Free Cakes for Kids is a welcome switch-off from my full-time job, working at the Greater London Authority. After my busy day, it’s great to change my focus, indulge in a hobby I love and use it to do something practical to help others.’ • freecakesforkids.org.uk
‘It’s a welcome switch-off from my job’