Dudley woman bakes cakes for NHS staff fighting coronavirus
A Dudley mother is spending the lockdown baking tasty treats as a thank you to NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline.
Annette Sibley, 55, is making 250 cupcakes a week from her home for key workers across the Black Country and Birmingham.
Annette, who is currently self-isolating with her family, made cakes for her friends and family as a hobby before the Covid-19 crisis – but has now turned her talents to making sugary treats for NHS staff and already has orders for for three weeks in advance.
Annette has also been left overwhelmed by donations of baking supplies being left on her doorstep so she can continue making the treats for NHS staff.
Mother-of-two Annette, who lives in Milking Bank, said: "When it came to the lockdown, as a family we decided to self-isolate – I have a 21-year-old son waiting to have open heart surgery. So we all, my husband and daughter too, decided to stop in as a family.
"I bake as a hobby anyway, for family and friends. During self-isolation, the days are long and there's only so much television and reading you can do. We have some friends, one is a paramedic and the other works on the children's ward at Sandwell Hospital, so I decided to bake some cakes for them.
"It kind of escalated from there – and more NHS staff started asking for cakes and it started from there.
"We bake about four boxes of cakes a day – which is about 250 cakes a week. They are all different cupcakes with lots of sweets and sugar on top.
"People have been donating, friends, neighbours, people we don't know, they bring chocolate, sweets, biscuits for the cakes. We have been overwhelmed with donations, people have been so very, very generous."
As the family are self-isolating and following social distancing rules, Annette leaves the cakes on her doorstop minutes before they are picked up.
So far, her cakes have reached staff at West Midlands Ambulance Service, Russells Hall Hospital, Sandwell Hospital, Walsall Manor Hospital, New Cross Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Cakes are being donated to Heartlands Hospital, local GP surgeries and staff at West Midlands Police in the coming days.
Annette added: "The cakes have had such a brilliant reaction. It is wonderful – and all the NHS staff have been so thrilled.
"We are booked up for three weeks with more orders."
Orders for cakes, or enquiries about donations, can be made through Annette's Instagram page A Box Full of Happiness.
