A church in Islington is holding a bake sale to raise money for Ukrainian refugees on Mothering Sunday.
St Mary’s Church raised over £250 at the first sale on Sunday 13 March.
The bake sale was part of the Cook for Ukraine appeal, which is a nationwide campaign raising funds for Ukrainian children through a shared passion for food and drink
Three of the campaign founders are eastern European chefs, Olia Hercules, Alissa Timoshkina and Zuza Zak. They were inspired by the Cook for Syria campaign in 2016.
“This was something we could easily do. We all bake at home and then sell the bakes to our congregation with tea after the Sunday church service,” says Glynys Sykaes, who is coordinating the bake sales.
However, the appeal is personal to the St Mary’s Church community; one of its members is Ukrainian and has family who remain in the war-stricken country.
Around 20 people from the church community contributed to the sale, and the customers were church members who attended the Sunday service last week. In the future, Glynys hopes the bake sales will attract younger people, and that they can move it outdoors to sell to passers-by.
“All the bakers were very pleased. Some people buying the bakes were giving generously – some were even giving £20 for a slice of cake!” said Angela Cannon, the church member who came up with the idea for the sale.
Clerkenwell Boy, a faceless food enthusiast from his namesake ward in the borough, is a co-founder of the Cook for Ukraine campaign. The Australian-born Londoner’s real name is Tim, and he shares delectable food as well as travel posts to his 300k followers on Instagram. He initiated the Cook for Syria campaign and was the contact to bring Alissa and Olia’s vision to reality with the help of Zuza Zak, a Polish food blogger and TV producer.
Alissa said: “Like millions of Russians, I too have Ukrainian roots, and grew up on a beautiful diet of Ukrainian and Russian dishes.
“These countries have shared a complex and rich history, and the culinary language reflects this relationship in the most powerful and relatable way.
“I am so grateful to have had first-hand experience of [this] and it is so important for me today to play a part in spreading the message of unity.”
Families are encouraged to share their recipes and the stories behind them throughout the campaign.
The proceeds from the Cook for Ukraine appeal are given to UNICEF, a humanitarian aid organisation for children established by the UN.
The funds help the charity’s efforts to deliver first aid kits to humanitarian workers, emergency water and hygiene kits to families affected by the crisis. They also help to ensure emergency school equipment is provided to children.
St Mary’s Church aims to raise £500 for the appeal from their fundraiser. The bake sales on the 27 March and 3 April start from 11am.
Details of more initiatives for the campaign, including pop-events, suppers and bake sales, can be found using the #CookForUkraine on social media.
