This month, members of the public are being asked to judge a charity’s baking competition. FirstLight Trust café hubs across the UK, including Hereford, are taking part in a Bake Off inspired event on September 18th. Donations will be put towards the charity’s September crowdfunding campaign to raise £4,000 to help prevent homelessness in veterans.

“We’re here to support all those that served in the armed forces and emergency services,” explains Dorinda Wolfe Murray, the founder of FirstLight Trust. “This includes finding housing for veterans who are on the streets, or on the verge of being made homeless. Our café hubs help raise money for this work as well as being a place where the public and veterans alike can relax over a cuppa and a slice of home-made cake. We’ve some amazing baking talent, so we thought a friendly competition would be a fun way to add to our fundraising total!”

A suggested donation of £5 per person buys a tasting platter from Sharpe’s café hub on Broad Street, Hereford, which includes a slice of each cake, a hot drink and a judge’s score sheet. Votes will be counted and then announced at 3pm. This ‘showstopper’ will then be put forward to a public vote on the charity’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. The overall UK winner will be announced on the afternoon of September 19th. If the charity meets its £4,000 goal, it will allow them to use even more features of the online Global Giving donations platform.

“We’d love to have as many tasters as possible judging our cakes,” adds Dorinda. “From Victoria sponges to chocolate cake, carrot cake to lemon drizzle, we know our Hereford colleagues are already star bakers. So please pop down to see us on September 18th and give us your opinion and vote again through social media for the cake of cakes! We also welcome whatever people can spare to help keep veterans from sleeping rough. Donations can be made in the hubs themselves or online at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/preventing-homelessness-for-veterans .”