Derbyshire mental health patients’ community cake sale for cancer charity

Located on Storth Lane in Alfreton, Cygnet Storthfield House is a 22-bed specialist high support inpatient rehabilitation (level 2) service for men, run by Cygnet Health Care.

The local community and their furry four-legged friends were invited by service users and staff to enjoy a morning of coffee and cake.

The Cygnet Health Care service raised £305 in aid of Macmillan, which provides emotional, financial, practical and physical support to people living with cancer. The charity also offers vital cancer services as well as researches and campaigns to achieve better cancer care.

Lisa Locking, Registered Manager at the Cygnet Health Care service, highlighted the success of the charity fundraiser.

She said: “A big well done to our team at Cygnet Storthfield House for raising such a tremendous amount for an important charity. It was a great success.

“Our team know that every penny can make a difference and it was great to be able to give something back to those living with cancer and help future research in finding a cure. Lots of staff and individuals we support have had loved ones affected by cancer, so it was a cause we wanted to be involved with.

“Our service users played a large part in organising the day, they came up with lots of different ideas on how to raise as much money as possible. They also worked hard to decorate the room in preparation for our guests whilst our staff prepared the cakes.”

Leading the baking team was the Head Cook, who worked alongside staff to make an abundance of sweet treats, including a carrot cake, which was used to drum up donations in a ‘Guess the Weight of the Cake’ challenge.

Attendees also tried their luck at ‘Guess the Name of the Highland Cow’, whilst tucking into a variety of cakes, having a coffee and a chat.

Lisa said: “Our service users really enjoyed the fundraiser, especially the cakes. They also invited their friends and families, so it was nice to see everyone getting involved. Days like this help the individuals we support on their recovery journey and foster a sense of inclusion.

“We are also really grateful for those in the local community who attended and supported our fundraiser. It really promoted community spirit between our service and our neighbours, while helping to build new relationships.

“It also gave the community an opportunity to learn more about Cygnet Heath Care and hopefully reduce any stigma people may have about mental health.”