If You Can Be Anything In This World, Be Kind

Cake4Kindness is encouraging care homes, schools, businesses and consumers to participate in its second Cake4Kindness awareness day on Thursday 21st November by baking together and delivering cakes to local charities for distribution to the homeless. Participating care homes include HC-One, Avery Healthcare, Danforth Care and TLC Care.

The ethos of Cake4Kindness, a not-for-profit company, is to reduce loneliness and social isolation by distributing cakes to those going through homelessness. It was started by Neel Radia, chair of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) during lockdown when he baked cupcakes for those sleeping rough or in homeless shelters across London, which were distributed by volunteers. “Volunteers said how those receiving the cupcakes were overjoyed that someone was thinking about them. The cakes stimulated conversation, interaction and joy,” he says.

He continued baking and by the end of the pandemic, had personally made over 3,000 cupcakes. “The joy I received from baking and the support I received from my local community was amazing. Once COVID restrictions had ended, I decided I wanted to continue baking for homeless people and other marginalised communities.”

Another important aspect of Cake4Kindness is holding “bake together” events, bringing together community groups and elderly people as a way of combatting loneliness. Cakes are then distributed to local charities for the homeless. Neel says “Baking is a productive form of self-expression and communication and can also be a great stress reliever. There is also a symbolic value in baking for others because food has such physical and emotional significance.”

Currently, Neel spends one weekend a month with others baking and distributing cakes. “Some of us share cakes with rough sleepers,” he says. “We only operate in London but hope to support charities in other cities in future.” This year for Cake4Kindness Day on 21st November, cake recipes will be shared on social media. “We also have a recipe for dog biscuits as many rough sleepers have a companion with them,” Neel adds.

During last year’s event, several care homes participated, spreading kindness amongst their community. Residents at Karuna Manor, part of TLC Care Homes, baked cupcakes and distributed them to local under-privileged families and the catering team at Newbury Grove Care Home, part of Care UK, baked 100 cupcakes for residents and their families to decorate. The cakes were delivered to the Two Saints Newbury Homeless Shelter.

At HC-One, the team encouraged its care homes to bake and decorate cupcakes with residents and donate cakes to a local charity. The catering teams put together a cake recipe book (downloadable from the Cake4Kindness web site) with ideas including Carrot Cake, Lemon Drizzle, Classic Vanilla Sponge, Raspberry Almond and Coffee Walnut Cake.

How to take part in Cake4Kindness Day on November 21st

• Organise residents in your care home, students in your school, universities and colleges to make cakes and enjoy decorating them while learning a new skill and engaging with each other.
• Make contact with a charity for the homeless or another charity and arrange to donate cakes to them.
• Hold a cake and coffee morning and ask for a small donation for those who attend and donate to charity.
• Share on social media platforms pictures of your cakes and tag #Cake4Kindness