A charity in Irlam who provide free cakes for children’s birthdays are looking for new bakers after struggling to expand due to the cost of living crisis.

Free Cakes for Kids is a charity which partners volunteer bakers with families in need to provide children with free birthday cakes.

Michelle Moorhouse, the coordinator for the Irlam branch of the charity, said: “we currently have 25 bakers, but we are always looking for more people to help”

“We had quite a lot, but I think people’s circumstances have changed over the pandemic, so we lost a few.”

Image Credit-Michelle Moorhouse

The volunteers have made 75 cakes in total for children’s birthdays since beginning the group in January 2021.

Michelle said: “My favourite part is giving back; we’ve made 75 children’s birthdays better than what they could have been.”

Michelle began as a baker for the Trafford group of Free Cakes for Kids before starting the Irlam group herself.

She said: “my sister is a teacher at Irlam Primary School, and she mentioned offering the cakes to Irlam as we knew there was a need there.”

“I mentioned to my Trafford coordinator about it, and she said why don’t you start a group on your own, so I did.”

Michelle began the group in January 2021 and considered expanding to the whole of Salford in the middle of the year.

Michelle said: “I asked all the volunteers and they said let’s go for it, I had already done quite a few cakes for all over Salford.”

However, the recent cost-of-living crisis has set back the charities plans to expand.

Michelle said: “If we’re delivering a cake 20 mins there and 20 mins back it becomes expensive”

“The cost of petrol’s gone up, the cost of ingredients has gone up, so I think we have to stay in Irlam for now.”

Image Credit-Michelle Moorhouse

The cost-of-living crisis has reduced the number of volunteers and the number of cakes the charity is able to make but the group are still offering cakes to children throughout Irlam.

Michelle said: “If I can get enough volunteers to offer it to Salford, of course I will”

“I definitely want to expand, it’s tricky but manageable.”

To volunteer as a baker, email Michelle at freecakesforkidsirlam@gmail.com

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