I’m on the judging panel…

Exciting news! I am on the judging panel for Bake4MECFS @bake4mecfs for round 9 of the bake off - The Teddy Bear’s Picnic!

Earlier this year, I donated a pet portrait to one of the winner’s of The Pawfect Virtual Bake Off, to raise funds for Bake4MECFS. 

Bake4MECFS asks participants to donate £4 to enter their bakes, the funds then go to Open Medicine Foundation (OMF)@openmedf and there are different themed bake offs, run throughout the year. 

All donations go towards medical research for chronic complex diseases with focus on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and LONG COVID, and related chronic, complex diseases. www.omf.ngo 

This round brings some exciting news for me! Since donating a portrait to The Pawfect Virtual Bake Off I have kept in touch with celebrity judge Jennie Jacques @jenniejacques1 and we have bounced some ideas around. After I incorrectly guessed the theme of the most recent bake off (The Such Fun Bake Off with Miranda Hart) as The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, we decided that actually that would make a great theme and be a lot of fun to do! So a theme was born; the newest theme is The Teddy Bear’s Virtual Bake Off! 

The exciting news for me is that this time I get to take part as a judge! I am also donating a print of one of my recent paintings ‘Teddy’ the highland cow to the winner! I’m so excited to be helping this fantastic cause once again and hope lots of you will join in with some creative bakes!

Bake4MECFS was launched in 2020 by actress and OMF Ambassador, Jennie Jacques. The Teddy Bear’s Picnic will be Round 9 of the bake off and we are all very excited to see what wonderful entries come in. 

Joining myself and Jennie on the judging panel are Alyssa Sutherland @therealalyssas - talented actress and co-star to Jennie Jacques on the hit tv series Vikings.

Anna @teapartyform.e - the creator of ‘Blue Sunday’, the tea party for M.E, who has raised £40,000 towards the cause! Anna is a regular judge and also bakes when not judging and Rosie Brandreth-Poynter @rosiebrandreth who you may recognise from The Great British Bake Off (GGBO 2019), she also won The Christmas Bake Off in 2020!

Jennie Jacques commented, “Many celebs help me out with the bake off. I’m delighted! Comedian Russel Howard actually kicked it off with his banana bread. Last round, Miranda Hart helped me to judge the “Such Fun” theme. And we have even had the Vikings Queens, Katheryn Winnick, Amy Bailey and Alyssa Sutherland on the panel! Now, more than ever, funding the research into virus initiated debilitation, like Long Covid and ME/CFS, is crucial. I can’t be more grateful for all involved so far.”

"We are so excited to see the momentum of Bake 4 ME/CFS continue to build! Awareness of ME/CFS and related diseases is critical. Too many people with these life-altering illnesses are living in the shadows, despite being severely affected.    With well-known celebrities participating alongside Jennie each month, Bake 4 ME/CFS serves to amplify the voices of an underrepresented community and energise support for urgently needed research." Rebecca Handler, OMF’s Communications Specialist

Donate * Bake * Nominate 

Bake4MECFS are asking bakers to help spread the word and make a difference to this great cause by also nominating four friends to join in with them.  

Entries for The Teddy Bear’s Picnic Virtual Bake Off need to be received by September 30th. 

If you would like to find out more about the next bake off and how to enter, visit www.bake4mecfs.com or follow @bake4MECFS on Instagram.

Thank you to www.burnham-on-sea.com for sharing this story!