Young bakers in Rochdale raise more than £420 for the NSPCC during month-long competition

Children and young people in Rochdale and Greater Manchester have raised more than £420 for the NSPCC by taking part in a month-long ‘Great Children’s Bake-Off’ competition.

Forty-five people, including 35 children, took part in the competition, which saw them make a small donation to take part then create show-stopping cakes at home and submit photos to organiser Sarah Spencer for a chance of winning one of 16 prizes donated by local businesses.
 

Read more: Rochdale Great Children's Bake Off aims to raise funds for NSPCCPublished: 15 May 2021

While the competition included a category for over 25s, children were encouraged to take part in the competition regardless of their abilities, and Sarah said the results of the competition showed every entrant had done incredibly well.

Sarah said: “For many people, especially children and young people, the last year has been really difficult, so I wanted the competition to be a way for young people in the community to have some fun and do something creative.

“The entries were all superb and the competition was a wonderful success. It was so successful, in fact, that we’ve decided we’re going to run another bake-off competition in the lead up to Christmas with a winter theme to help raise more vital funds for the NSPCC.”

 

 

As a member of Spotland Methodist Church in Rochdale, Sarah has set up and run toddler groups, church fayres and fundraising events. As she enjoyed baking activities with her children one-year-old Theo and Rosie, seven, she decided to set up the competition in support of the NSPCC while encouraging young people to have fun in the kitchen.

Vickie Butcher, NSPCC community fundraising manager, said: “I was amazed at how professional some of the cakes looked, they were really incredible. Not only that, but the generosity of local businesses for donating prizes and the amount raised was lovely to see.

“The NSPCC relies on public donations for about 90% of its funding, and restrictions during the pandemic have meant our regular fundraising events have had to be cancelled or postponed, so events like the Great Children’s Bake-Off are more vital than ever.

“It costs £4 for our specially-trained volunteers to answer a call to Childline, which means by raising £428, Sarah and the children who took part could have helped 107 young people get support when they need it most.”

 

 

A date for the next event has not yet been confirmed, but anyone who wants to find out more can follow the Facebook page 'Rochdale Great Children’s Bake Off'.

Find out how you can support the NSPCC here, either by fundraising, donating or volunteering.