Culdrose Helitots raise a smile

Helitots Nursery at Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose held a cake sale for “Raise a Smile Week”, which has bolstered the funds for the Children’s Hospice South West by over £168. 

Brightly coloured party cakes were baked and iced by parents and staff at Helitots, the Culdrose children’s day nursery run for service personnel at the base. Over lunchtime they set up a cake stall outside the service shop and the nursery staff was amazed by interest shown as people went about their routes from the accommodation areas to the airfield. Steph Richards Helitots Manager who organised the event said, “I was really surprised how quick we sold out. We asked the parents of the children to make and donate cakes to sell, everyone chipped in and we made some ourselves as well. It was a great success; Navy personnel really do like cakes!”

 “Raise a Smile Week” is about raising vital funds to help families who have children in Hospice care, it’s also a chance to have fun too! Hospices are not always fun or happy places and so making people smile, laugh and generally happy becomes all the more important. For many families, coming to the hospice for respite is a huge relief and they use their time to enjoy being a family and have fun without the usual overwhelming responsibility that comes with caring for their life-limited child.

A competition held as part of the sale was the mystery ingredient game. Hannah Mitchell who works as a writer in the Unit Personnel Office brought some of the cakes. “It a brilliant idea and so good to have some fresh home baked cake, they were scrumptious. I guessed Mint as the mystery taste but it turned out to be Root-beer. I am really pleased they made lots of money.”

Children at Helitots were also busy that day doing and making things that make them smile. These activities went from riding scooters and bikes to making paintings for mummy and daddy. A few of the children made lovely paper plate smiley faces.