The Luton and Dunstable Hospital Charitable Fund has launched its Bake Off to Take Off initiative in aid of the hospital’s Helipad Appeal. A special downloadable cake-sale pack has been created – providing everything a foodie fundraiser could need to host a Bake Off to Take Off.
The ‘Bake Off to Take Off’ pack – the idea for which was inspired by the hospital celebrating its 80th birthday in this year – includes posters, invitations, a bunting template, and a selection favourite baking recipes chosen by some of the hospital’s teams.
The initiative was officially launched on 5th July 2019 alongside the NHS Big Tea (www.nhsbigtea.co.uk), which was held to raise money for NHS charities across the UK on the date of the organisation’s 71st birthday.
Bake off to Take Off was launched to coincide with the NHS 71st birthday Big Tea celebrations
Sarah Amexheta, Head of Charity, said: ‘2019 is a milestone year for the L&D, and Preparing to Land is the charity’s flagship appeal for the 80th birthday celebrations. Among multiple other fundraising ideas, cake sales seemed like a natural fit, and the NHS Big Tea a natural launch date.
“We have had a lot of fun with bake-offs between hospital staff in the past, but thought it was about time to stop eating all the cake ourselves and start spreading the love! Hopefully the pack will provide inspiration enough for events large and small. We look forward to seeing the results.”
The Helipad Appeal aims to generate £1.5m, the final sum required to secure the project to build a helipad within the hospital complex. With no helipad currently at the hospital itself, Air Ambulances land on a local school playing field and transfer patients the final distance by road, significantly eating into the 60 critical minutes after an incident. If it is deemed too risky to undertake the final road transfer, casualties can potentially be transferred to the nearest emergency helipads, in Northamptonshire, Cambridge or London. The closest of these is over 25 miles away.
The majority of the helipad funding – over £4m – is already in place. It is hoped that the helipad will be operational by 2021.
You can download the pack via the Charity section of the L&D website.
Bakers are invited to share their creations on Facebook and Twitter using the #bakeofftotakeoff hashtag.
The charity’s own pages can be found on Facebook and Twitter at @ldhfundraising.
You can also help the cause via Just Giving
For more information visit www.ldh.nhs.uk/helipad
- Foodie fundraisers encouraged to hold a cake sale during the summer of 2019 – the hospital’s 80thbirthday year – to help raise final £1.5m for an on-site helipad.
- Bake Off to Take Off officially launches on FRIDAY 5th JULY 2019, alongside the NHS’ Big Tea celebrations.
- Special L&D recipe book, bunting, invitations and more available via: http://bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/charity/supporting-wards-and-departments/helipad-appeal/bake-off-to-take-off
- Bake Off initiative held in aid of the L&D Helipad Appeal: much-needed direct Air Ambulance access to the hospital will increase the survival and recovery rates of heart attack, stroke and trauma patients and provide the ONLY 24/7 landing facility directly serving Herts, Beds and Bucks
- Donations via Just Giving (www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ldhhelipad)