The brief history of Free Cakes for Kids started on a rainy day in December 2008 in Oxford. Just having returned from a trip to the U.S., Henriette Lundgren read an article in People Magazine about new community initiative. Under the name “Free Cakes for Kids”, a lady in Trenton, Georgia was baking birthday cakes for families in need.

 

A passionate baker herself, Henriette saw an opportunity to adapt the model to her own community in Oxford.
After dozens of phone calls and countless conversations with neighbours, friends, local charities, social services and food safety experts, other bakers and volunteers joined the group. The first announcements were put up in children centres, community halls and the local foodbank.

 

And six months later, the first ever Free Cakes for Kids birthday cake changed hands in Oxford on June 10th 2009 — a football-themed cake for 6-year-old boy from Holloway.

Since then, the community group model has spread rapidly. More and more volunteers from all over the UK got in touch to start their own groups and activities

 

In May 2012, the Free Cakes for Kids UK Network was founded to help volunteers all over the UK to start their own groups. There is now a critical mass of volunteers all over the country that have mastered the craft of community organising and are ready to take on responsibility. Established groups are in a unique position to give back by mentoring newcomers. Rather than relying on a small group of central organisers, we have grown into a movement. A movement everyone can join to make a difference – one cake at a time.

 

A website was developed to share best practice and ideas and group coordinators from all over the country connect via a Facebook group.