Syria aid work ‘a piece of cake’

Thousands of volunteers make fundraising for Syria aid work a piece of cake.

Humanitarian aid agency Islamic Relief’s award-winning national Cake Campaign is once again raising funds to support aid work that saves lives and helps victims of the ongoing Syrian conflict.

The campaign, which started in 2013 and was the brainchild of a group of volunteers in Bradford, ensures that delicious chocolate fudge cakes are delivered to people’s doors during Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

At a cost of £10 per cake, the campaign proceeds go to Islamic Relief’s Syria Appeal.

The Cake Campaign, which is trending on social media using the hashtag #Cakes4Syria, is a volunteer-led cake delivery service.

Since 2013, more than 4,000 volunteers from across England, Scotland and Wales have delivered over 80,000 chocolate fudge cakes while fasting, raising more than £700,000 for those affected by the ongoing Syrian conflict.

Imran Madden, Director of Islamic Relief UK, said: “The horrific conflict in Syria is ongoing and millions of people within the country need emergency aid. Islamic Relief is working on the ground but we need more funding to enable us to provide life-saving supplies and medical aid to those in need.

“Cakes for Syria makes fundraising quite literally a piece of cake and we would encourage everyone to support the campaign. For just £10, everyone can enjoy a delicious chocolate fudge cake and help save lives.”

Zia Salik, National Community Fundraising and Volunteer Manager at Islamic Relief UK, added: “This is an idea that came from the grassroots, from our volunteers, and the response over the past four years has been just fantastic. The teams of volunteers across the UK have done an amazing job helping to raise over £700,000 for the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Let’s see if this year we can make a million.” 

Amer Ghani, who lives in Leeds and has been an Islamic Relief volunteer for 10 years, said: “Everyone’s life is of infinite value and the idea behind the Cake Campaign is simplicity itself – that you save a life with a piece of cake. By buying a chocolate fudge cake to share with your family, neighbours and friends, you could say that chocolate cake has life-saving properties as it raises money for Islamic Relief to provide people in Syria with the food and medicine they need so desperately.”

Since the conflict began Islamic Relief has delivered more than £185 million worth of aid inside Syria and in neighbouring countries, assisting over 6.5 million Syrians. Food packs, clothes and medical supplies have been distributed to communities under siege within Syria and displaced people along the Turkish border.

Islamic Relief is also running or supporting camps and providing livelihood programmes, education and psychosocial support for refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

To order a cake online (£10), click here:

Or telephone the Cake Campaign Call Centre on 01274 952 144.