Cakes 4 Casualties started in 2009, albeit rather accidentally!

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The Cake Lady, known to others as Kath Ryan, was visiting her sister in Selly Oak Hospital. She decided to try and cheer her up by baking her some cakes. Kaths sister shared the cakes with the injured soldiers at the smoking hut, the cheeky chappies said “Ask your sister to bring us some cakes on S4!”

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Kath found this amusing and went ahead with their wishes…She baked 12 dozen different flavoured cakes and took them to the Hospital. The soldiers at the hospital were very keen to meet this mysterious cake baking lady, so Kath went down to the ward and was struck by their courage, humour and cheek! After 2 weeks Kath phoned up the hospital to see if the lads would like some more cake and the nurse said “Would they ever! All we have heard is ‘do you think she’ll come back!?’”

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Cakes 4 Casualties was born…

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To start with Kath was baking every week for the injured troops in the Selly Oak Hospital. The injured lads were transferred over to Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre, this didn’t stop the cake requests flooding through! For the past 10 and a half years she has been visiting Headley Court once a month, as well as weekly visits to Selly Oak. Since Headley Court closed down, Kath continues monthly visits to Stanford Hall in Loughborough.

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Wherever the injured troops are moved to Kath will ensure cakes are baked for them and she visits them for their dose of ‘The Cake Lady’ no matter where they are in the country, its amazing how far a cake and a hug can go!

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