An East Coast College lecturer has been getting up at 4am each morning to bake cupcakes for keyworkers during lockdown.
Kathy Abel, a part-time childcare lecturer at the Great Yarmouth Campus, has joined the Baking-A-Difference group - a team of 20 bakers who are rustling up sweet treats to be delivered to those helping out in the community.
Started by Bradwell-based Michaela Davies and her friend Jill Stafford, the group has exploded on Facebook and now has nearly 4000 members.
Ms Davies said: “It all started with a batch of 48 cupcakes which I made and my son delivered to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston.
“He took some photos which I posted on a couple of Facebook groups and I started getting asked by lots of people if I could make some for them for a donation. So I set up our own Facebook page and it’s been busy ever since!”
The Baking-A-Difference team have made around 6,000 cupcakes with the help of ingredient donations, many of which will be coming from East Coast College itself who have pledged to help Ms Abel out.
“Three weeks ago we didn’t really know what key workers were so it has been a great way to raise their profile and say thank you”, Ms Davies added.
Ms Abel, who joined the team two weeks ago, said: “I saw Michaela’s post on Facebook and decided to send her a message to say that I would be happy to help, but that I’m not very artistic with decoration.
“She replied and said I could join as a naked baker, which means I bake the sponges and send them to a lady called Lucy Tuddenham to decorate.”
Ms Abel, who is still teaching students through video calls, has been getting up seriously early to get the job done.
“I used to work at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as an auxiliary nurse so I really wanted to do something to help through all of this. When I read about Baking-A-Difference it all fell into place”, she said.
Last week alone she made over 300 cakes.
The cupcakes have been delivered as far as North Walsham and Halesworth, with shopkeepers, care home, police and hospital staff all benefitting.Anyone who would like to volunteer or make a nomination can request to join the Baking-A-Difference Facebook page. To make a donation towards ingredients, cake cases and boxes, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/m5jwvz-bakingadifference
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