THE Oxford Mail today calls on readers to bake in aid of Help for Heroes as the charity marks its 10th birthday.

Oxfordshire has been chosen as one of the key regions for the Bake for Heroes campaign to raise cash to support wounded, injured and sick veterans, soldiers and their families.

And in backing the campaign, volunteer baker Maureen Morris from Kidlington, is getting her family, friends and neighbours to crack some eggs open and get out their mixing bowls.

The ingredients for success are simple – supporters can sign up for a free fundraising pack through the charity to bake cupcakes, sponges, biscuits, flapjacks or whatever tasty treat they fancy, and sell them anyone to raise money.

Mrs Morris, from Kidlington, has been taking part in Bake for Heroes for the past four years.

The 76-year-old said: “A lot of people enjoy baking and it’s something the whole family can get involved in.

“A bake sale is also a great way to meet your neighbours and new people.

“The satisfaction you get from raising the money and knowing the difference it is making to help people’s lives is wonderful.”

The grandmother-of-two was motivated to help the charity as her great-niece Anna Goodall, from Eynsham, suffered serious brain injuries while serving in Kosovo in the 1990s. Anna was thrown from an army vehicle in an accident and hit her head. She was in a coma for several weeks and later did months of rehabilitation and had to learn to walk and talk again.

Although several years before the formation of H4H, Maureen discovered the benefit of rehabilitation for injured service people as Anna made a good recovery.

She also wanted to raise money in memory of her uncle, Richard Atkins, who was awarded the Military Medal in the First World War three weeks before he was killed in action aged 21.

Mrs Morris added: “I probably bake myself around 60 cupcakes and 10 large cakes.

“The cakes we sell are made by me, family, friends and people who have seen my advertising about the sale. If the event is held indoors, we sell refreshments and hold a raffle to raise extra funds.

The ‘Bake for Heroes’ campaign runs from April 15 to April 30. Bake sales can be as big or small as participants want and there will be a “Roll of Honour”, published in the Oxford Mail at the end of campaign, showing all the organisations and individuals who took part.

Sara Taylor, managing editor of the Oxford Mail, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Bake For Heroes and it has all the ingredients of being a fantastic community effort by the people of Oxford. The beauty of it is that it is so easy to take part as almost everyone has a kitchen and people of all ages love baking.”

To take part visit bakeforheroes.org.uk or call 01980 846459 and mention the Oxford Mail when you sign up.