Fareham and Gosport cake group seeks more volunteer bakers as demand rises

Free Cakes for Kids Fareham and Gosport is seeking more volunteer bakers in Hampshire after its leader said demand for birthday cakes had risen, according to a BBC report published on 30 September 2026. The group makes cakes for children whose families cannot provide one, using referrals from local organisations.

Natalie Parker, who runs the group, told the BBC that the prospect of a child going without a birthday cake was ‘heart-breaking’. The report gave no count of requests, comparison period or figure for the increase, so the scale of the reported rise is unclear.

How children are referred for birthday cakes

The group does not deal directly with families, Parker told the BBC. Referrals come through organisations including food banks, churches and schools. That arrangement means its bakers receive requests through organisations already in contact with families, rather than taking requests from families themselves.

A separate volunteer listing for the Fareham and Gosport group describes referrals from social services, health practice centres, children’s centres, church groups and other local and national organisations. It describes the group as part of a UK network of volunteers who make home-baked birthday cakes for children who might otherwise miss out because of family circumstances.

What volunteer bakers are asked to do

Parker said the group has more than 30 bakers. Some are home bakers who make one or two cakes a year; others run baking businesses. She told the BBC, ‘You don’t need to be an incredible baker to join us.’ The Volunteer First listing says applicants need basic baking skills.

Parker joined as a baker while on maternity leave in 2024 and now runs the group, the BBC reported. She said she had seen it advertised on Facebook before deciding to join. Her account illustrates that volunteers can begin by taking on individual requests rather than committing to make cakes at a fixed rate; the BBC report does not specify a minimum number of cakes for each baker.

The accounts differ on what bakers must pay for. Parker told the BBC that volunteers buy ingredients themselves and that the group can provide toppers, boards and boxes when it has raised money. ‘It’s not cheap, especially with food costs going up,’ she said. The current Volunteer First listing, however, says ingredients, boards and boxes are available for bakers to use and lists expenses as reimbursed. The sources do not explain whether these descriptions reflect different arrangements or a change over time.

The listing describes the role as home-based and open to volunteers aged 18 or over, with a DBS check required. It also lists induction, training and ongoing support. Prospective bakers should check the current arrangements for supplies and expenses when they register interest, given the difference between the listing and Parker’s account.

How to register interest in Fareham and Gosport

The national Free Cakes for Kids directory lists the Fareham and Gosport group among its South East groups and gives its contact email as freecakesforkidsfareham.gosport@gmail.com. Volunteer First also has a Volunteer Baker listing for the group with a ‘Register my Interest’ option; its page says volunteers must log in or register before using it.

The national directory shows that the Fareham and Gosport group is part of a wider network with groups in other regions. The local appeal concerns bakers who can help with cakes for children referred to the Fareham and Gosport group. Neither the BBC report nor the listings give an end date for the appeal or say how many additional bakers are needed.

Parker told the BBC that her son asks why some children do not have a cake when he sees her baking for the group. She described paying for a cake as a small price for a child to receive one they otherwise would not have. For people considering the role, the published information establishes the referral process and where to make contact, but leaves the present cost to each baker to be confirmed with the group.