Face UP! Bake Sale

Face UP! Bake SaleThank you for your interest in organising a Face UP! Bake Sale. Help us achieve our aim of getting NHS funders and other important decision makers to Face UP! to the lack of support there is for people with facial palsy.

It can be a bit daunting planning your first bake sale so we want to make it as easy as possible with this guide. Bake sales are lots of fun as well as delicious! You can either have a ‘Coffee morning’ where people gather to enjoy hot drinks and baked goods, or you might want to hold a Face UP! Bake Sale at school, in your workplace or elsewhere.

Planning your Face UP! Bake Sale

Fundraising coffee morningIt’s always good to have a plan. This will ensure your event goes smoothly and attracts plenty of people.

Plan your date and venue

  • Check the local events calendar before you decide on a date, try not to clash with other events that might stop people coming.
  • Make sure you will be able to unload your baked goodies easily on the day, check access to the venue and parking.
  • Make sure your venue is accessible to others, think about elderly people, families with young children and those with disabilities.
  • Some venues will charge for their use.
  • Timing is everything. In offices you are more likely to attract hungry workers mid-morning before lunch.

Gather your team!

  • Involve as many bakers as you can, this allows for people who may need to drop out.
  • Give your bakers plenty of time to prepare, so set your date several weeks in advance.
  • Find out how bakers plan to transport their goodies to the event as some people may need help. Check everyone has enough containers.

Choose your theme

Of course we would love it to be facial palsy themed but it really is up to you! Some people prefer not to have a theme so not to put off less confident bakers.

Decide on what everyone is baking

  • Large cakes, small cakes, ice cupcakes, brownies, cookies and biscuits all go down well. Don’t forget some savoury options for those who don’t have a sweet tooth. Our Norwich Support Group say that sausage rolls (meat & vegetarian), scones (cheese & fruit) and Victoria sponges are always their most popular bakes. Pre-buttered scones save time and space on the table.
  • To ensure your bake sale doesn’t have too much of the same thing, find out what your bakers are planning to make.
  • Think about how long will you be selling cakes for and how much footfall you expect. Speak to people who have held events in similar venues to estimate footfall and thus the number of baked items required.

Text reads Face UP! Bake Sale in aid of Facial Palsy UK - photo of different plates of cakes and biscuits.Tell people about your Face UP! Bake Sale

Use social media, local networks and magazines to advertise your bake sale. If it is a public event then don’t forget to tell us about it so we can share details via our networks. If you are holding your event at work, make HR aware, put it on the office intranet and stick up posters. Include a link to our charity website (www.facialpalsy.org.uk) on your adverts so people know who they will be supporting.

Here are some links to images that you can use on social media. Please click the link and then right click and ‘Save Image as…’ to get the image.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Remember to include the date, time and venue on your adverts. Also include a sentence requesting that people planning to attend inform you if they have any food allergies. This will help you plan better for the event.

Click this link to tell us about your fundraising.

Keep people safe

  • Refer to the Food Standards Agency for advice on food hygiene and send the link to all your volunteers.
  • Download and print Food Allergen Labels to ensure optimum safety and distribute among your bakers. Remind your bakers the night before to make sure they have completed their Allergen Labels. Download here.
  • Display a sign which states ‘All items are baked at home & therefore cannot be guaranteed free of allergens’.
  • If you use gluten free flour put out a sign ‘Made with gluten free flour but cannot be guaranteed free of allergens’. Remember that for anything made in a domestic setting there could be cross contamination. Download and print signs you can display (print on just one side of A4 paper). Download here.

It is not essential for you to receive certified food hygiene training for events such as one-off bake sales. However, it’s still extremely important that you practice and maintain safe food handling, especially when handling allergens.

Pick your prices

Plan ahead with your pricing so you don’t need to worry about it on the day. If you have baked too much you can always reduce prices towards the end of the sale. Try to price things in easy to add up multiples, e.g. £1. Biscuits can be sold as say ‘3 for £1.00’ depending on size. If providing tea and coffee price these simply as well. When you are busy complicated maths can be a challenge!

Take pictures

Create a buzz on social media by sharing pictures of your cakes, don’t forget to tag us on social media (@facialpalsyuk) and use the hashtag #FaceUP. Get your bakers to do sneak previews of their items to entice more people along.

Pictured below: a previous bake sale organised by Jeanette House.

Bake Sale

Competition

You could have a competition for the most creative idea or the best cake, this might entice more bakers.

Money

Work out your float and make sure you have plenty of change on the day. Think about your prices and what is the likely change people will want from notes. Keep in mind that coins are heavy so you might have quite a weight to carry away at the end of your event. Banks will provide money bags for free, these help when you are counting up at the end. It is always best to get two people to count to double-check calculations.

Other things to think about

  • If having a full day event ensure you have sufficient people to give breaks; people can underestimate how tiring this can be.
  • Paper bags/plates if people want to take cakes away.
  • Bring waste bags to dispose of rubbish.
  • Check out the washing-up facilities, sticky plates are messy to carry home.
  • Bring plenty of tea towels for drying up and washing-up liquid if not available at your venue.
  • Consider how you are going to supply hot drinks (if applicable).
  • Where will bakers be able to leave their items if they need to drop off before the event starts?
  • Do any items need special storage? e.g. refrigerator.
  • Serving implements and other cutlery. Make sure you have plenty, you don’t want people handling money also handling the food.
  • If you would like an official charity collection tin let us know 10 days in advance of your event.

Some tips for being environmentally friendly

Decorations are nice to catch people’s eye but as a charity we are trying to cut down on waste so we don’t have a full ‘Bake Sale kit’. Here are some tips you may find useful:

  • Cover your tables in tablecloths or fabric rather than disposable paper or plastic covers.
  • Try not to use decorations that will go to waste. You could decorate with reusable supplies. A recyclable cardboard sign that just says ‘Face UP! Bake Sale’ will do the trick, if your cakes look yummy they will sell themselves. Potted plants or fruit also make colourful table decorations.
  • You will need paper napkins but you could place a friendly sign nearby requesting people take only what they need. Try and find eco-friendly paper napkins.
  • Try and borrow small reusable plastic plates and use where practical.
  • Find out if there are any homeless shelters nearby who might take any leftovers.

Feeling daunted?

There are other options, you could hold a Krispy Kreme Fundraiser. Visit their website here for more information. Note that Krispy Kreme doughnuts are not guaranteed as allergen free unfortunately.

How your money helps

Money raised pays for our support helpline, support groups, family days, and information for people affected by facial palsy. It is also used to educate health professionals, to advocate on patients’ behalf and to raise awareness. We are asking NHS Funders and other decision makers to Face UP! to the lack of support there is for people with facial palsy. With your help we can achieve so much more!

After your Face UP! Bake Sale

To everyone who has hosted a ‘Face UP! Bake Sale’ for Facial Palsy UK, we are tremendously grateful for your efforts! Thank you. It is quick and easy to pay in your donations so that the money you’ve raised can help us change the lives of people affected by facial palsy. Every penny really does count.

Click the link for ways to pay money in – https://facialpalsy.org.uk/donate-fundraising/

Don’t forget to send us your address so we can send you a thank you letter! If you would prefer we thank you by email please let us know. Thank you!

Downloads

Bake sale poster – Download here

Bake sale checklist – Download here

Allergen labels – Download here

Allergen signs – Download here

Name cards for your bakes – Download here

Last reviewed: 06-10-2021    ||    Next review due: 06-10-2023