Dreamworld Cakes – Bernadett & Richard
North East bakeries and patisseries have pledged to ‘Wear their Hearts on their Sleeves’ by getting involved with fundraising for Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) during National Heart Month this month (February).
National Heart Month is a chance for CHUF to highlight the prevalence of congenital and acquired heart conditions affecting babies and children across the UK as well as shining a light on what the charity does to support Heart families treated at the Freeman Hospital and 6 other hospitals in the vast Northern region. With circumstances so different this year to last, CHUF have some different plans for people to get involved with Heart Month this year….
“As well as raising awareness of the impact of heart conditions and our work with Heart families at CHUF, we wanted to get people supporting local businesses that are still able to operate during the lockdown. We hoped that local businesses might get on board to support CHUF by creating a special offer for Heart Month for which, a small portion of profits is donated to the charity.” Alicia Clovis-Mothalib, Corporate & Events Fundraising Manager
As well as running their usual #WearRedForCHUF day on the last Friday in February (26th), the charity will be launching their new #WearYourHeartOnYourSleeve campaign on February 1st. It will be a chance for businesses to publicly acknowledge their commitment to Heart Heroes throughout the month and to show everyone their creative side too.
The sweet initiative has been taken to heart by Gateshead’s Sweet and Fair, Ouseburn’s Dreamworld Cakes, Jesmond’s Cake Stories and The French Oven in Newcastle’s Grainger Market. These businesses have adapted to allow customers to continue to buy their favourite produce by providing either Covid-secure collection for takeaway or by offering a delivery service. Dreamworld Cakes have created a ‘CHUF special’ rhubarb and custard choux pastry for customers to enjoy, with all the proceeds being donated to CHUF; Sweet and Fair will be donating 10% of all their February profits, as well as 50p from each letterbox slab ordered. Cake stories will be introducing their amazing new ‘Whole Lotta Love’ letterbox treats which can be posted to loved ones nationwide and will be giving £1 to CHUF for every box ordered. The French Oven will donate £1 from every limited edition CHUF afternoon tea box ordered.
“We have a little boy too and as soon as we found out what CHUF were up to, we knew we wanted to help!” – Bernadett Szucs, Dreamworld Cakes
“As soon as we were approached, we knew we had to get involved. CHUF do an amazing job and our wonderful friend’s daughter has had several operations at the Freeman in the last 14 months. We need to get behind charities who have not been able to fundraise during this difficult period by doing all we can. What’s not to love? Limited edition afternoon tea to your door, which supports small independent bakers and all whilst raising funds for CHUF.” – Emma Blair Phillips, The French Oven
CHUF will be encouraging people to show their support for Heart Heroes in National Heart Month either by purchasing a limited-edition t-shirt from the CHUF e-bay shop, by getting friends and colleagues involved in wearing red on 26th February and donating a suggested £1 through their facebook page @CHUFofficial, and by buying goods from participating local businesses so that their money does twice the good- helping small businesses as well benefitting CHUF.
All money raised during Heart Month will help CHUF fund work supporting babies and children treated at the Children’s Heart Unit, Freeman and those living with heart conditions all over the UK.
Any other businesses wanting to get involved with CHUF during heart month and beyond can email: [email protected].
