“Go on, buy one, buy five, you know you want to.” – Jon Snow, Channel 4.
Hundreds of chocolate fudge cakes are being delivered all over the country by 130 fasting volunteers today, as Islamic Relief’s Cakes4Syria fundraising effort for Ramadan, launched in Bradford last year, goes national. 151 cakes are already ordered for the Birmingham area.
Volunteers will drive at their own cost around England and Wales delivering cakes to doorsteps to raise money for the people of Syria. With each cake costing £10 and profit to go to Islamic Relief’s Syria Appeal, volunteers hope to meet their goal of doubling the £80,000 made last Ramadan by Cakes4Syria.
Cakes4Syria started last Ramadan after 23-year-old Sibbat e Noor from Bradford had a casual conversation with his uncle about wanting to raise money for Syria. “We realised that everyone likes cakes, so we thought we could drop them off at people’s doorsteps and raise a bit of money,” said Sibbat, a trainee solicitor.
“Last year we started off with just one form for people to fill in, then we needed a special mobile, then we had four mobiles. This year there’s a whole call centre in Bradford with 30 staff and volunteers driving all over the country, none of them charging for the cost of petrol. It’s brilliant. I can’t believe it’s gone national.”
Famous takers so far include Jon Snow and political journalist and author Medhi Hassan.
Birmingham volunteer Madiha Shah is finding it challenging to deliver such mouth-watering cakes while she is fasting. “It’s important during Ramadan to keep active and continue as normal, so driving around delivering is a positive action,” she said. “All the volunteers have a passion to help people in Syria, even though we don’t know the actual people the cakes are helping. We’re all so grateful to have our families safe and enough clothes and food. Here’s hoping the cakes bring relief and Cakes4Syria is bigger and better this year.”
“There are so many ways of helping the people of Syria that don’t involve fighting violence with violence,” said Islamic Relief’s Cakes4Syria manager Abdul Basit Ali. “Cakes4Syria was created by a young person, Sibbat e Noor, and most of the volunteers are young and fired up with enthusiasm to support Islamic Relief’s work providing medical equipment, shelter, food parcels, fuel and water.”
Syria’s children continue to suffer in what is now thought to be the worst humanitarian disaster of modern times, with over six million Syrians in need of humanitarian aid and around four million people internally displaced, creating more than 1.7 million refugees.
Funds raised from Cakes4Syria will help children such as 12-year-old Khaled Ibrahim, who was playing outside his home when he was shot in the foot by a sniper. He tried and failed to walk and managed to crawl away from the constant shooting. His brother saved his life by taking him to Bab Al Hawa hospital in Idlib, where Islamic Relief is funding medicine and equipment. After extensive surgery, Khaled’s foot was saved. Read Khaled’s full story at: www.islamic-relief.org.uk/case-studies/syria-looking-after-khaled/.
Cakes4Syria can be ordered by phone on 01274 952144 or text 07511 724 372 (12 noon -8pm) or spread the word using #Cakes4Syria. Cakes will be delivered on Sundays and Thursdays until 24 June which heralds Eid al Fitr and the end of Ramadan.
