Cake sale for Help for Heroes

9:16pm Wednesday 13th February 2008

A COLOSSAL cake sale will take place in Winchester on Saturday, March 1, in aid of a war heroes charity.

Residents of the city are being asked to bake goodies to donate to the sale, which will take place at the Brooks Centre from 9am.

Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Chris Pines, will be supporting the sale by heading along on the day.

The event is the brainchild of Anne Posonby, whose brother-in-law, cartoonist Bryn Parry, founded the Help for Heroes (H4H) charity.

The former army officer saw the plight of injured servicemen and women and learnt that they have to be taken by mini bus to a public pool so decided to take a year off to improve their lot.

He launched The Help for Heroes charity in September last year as a short term charity appeal with an urgent need to raise £6 million for a state of the art orthopaedic swimming pool and gymnasium complex at the tri-service rehabilitation centre at Headley Court, Leatherhead.

So far H4H has raised over £2.8 million through a combination of private and corporate fund-raising and some campaigns run by national newspapers. They are confident that a further £1 million will be raised through their main fund raising event this year, the Big Battlefield Bike Ride, taking place in May.

Belinda Mitchell, who is organising the cake sale, hopes Winchester residents will get behind the charity and bake cakes for the sale.

She is hoping to get anything from 500 to 1,000 cakes on sale on the day and hopes professional chefs and cake makers will lend their expertise and donate goods for the sale.

Anyone interested in helping should e-mail busy.bees@freeuk.com.

Hilliers Garden Centre in Winchester is also selling special roses in aid of the charity.