The Bigger Boat bake sale was a huge success

The Bigger Boat crew joined forces with fellow Wheatley Park creative agency Fishtank to demonstrate impressive baking skills – all in aid of charity. Here, we take a look back over the day and explain all about our charity of choice, Endometriosis UK.

For one Friday last month, TBB Towers’ main meeting room became awash with colour and the smell of baking filled the air. We held our (what’s become) annual bake sale to raise awareness and funds for charity – this time, Endometriosis UK.

Along with fellow creative agency Fishtank, we donned our aprons to bake a huge selection of cakes, buns and cupcakes and invited Wheatley Park businesses to join us to sample our creations.

Endometriosis UK tirelessly works to improve the lives of those who live with endometriosis, which is a chronic and often debilitating condition that affects around 1.5 million women in the UK. This long-term condition is the result of tissue similar to that in the lining of the womb growing in other places in the body. Like the womb lining, the tissue builds up and bleeds, but with no way to escape the body. The blood is trapped, leading to internal bleeding, inflammation, pain and the formation of scar tissue.

Our designer – and chief fundraiser – Kara Clifford has lived with endometriosis since she was 16 years old and it often impacts her day-to-day life. She’s keen to raise awareness of this life-affecting illness and explains: “Endometriosis affects more than one in 10 women and yet nobody seems to have heard about it. It took me six years to get diagnosed with endometriosis after being misdiagnosed many times by numerous doctors. Endometriosis affects my life on a daily basis. I am on daily prescribed strong painkillers. It stops me having much of a social life. It messes with my mental health and it could potentially affect my fertility. Even though I have been diagnosed, there is nothing to help me other than strong painkillers. There is little help and no cure.

“There is a severe lack of research, funding and awareness. Since being diagnosed, I have been very active in raising awareness of the illness. I have created a Facebook support group and an Instagram page to raise awareness and support other women with the illness. I suggested that we support Endometriosis UK this year and the TBB team was more than happy to support the cause.”

Our bake sale was a big success – we enjoyed meeting and chatting with the other businesses from the area (Primal Eden even donated some homemade healthy cookies!). We raised £183.72, which The Bigger Boat then doubled achieving a total of £367.43 for Endometriosis UK. Thank you to everyone who baked, donated and generally helped us raise awareness.

Find out more about Endometriosis UK and how you can support this great cause.