FOOTBALL-mad Dylan blew out the candles on a very special cake.

The Park South youngster received the 1000th sponge showstopper baked by Free Cakes for Kids Swindon.

Since 2014, volunteers have been making cakes for children who otherwise might miss out on the birthday treat. In that time they have baked for everyone from families who have fled civil war to seek asylum in the UK to young carers looking after siblings and parents.

Oaktree Primary School pupil Dylan Fardon was the lucky recipient of a massive chocolate cake, decorated with figures from the 11-year-old’s favourite computer game, Minecraft.

Mum Samantha Fardon, 35, said the cake had come as a surprise. The lad had been put forward by Oaktree School parent support adviser Jo Sherry.

“I had to hide it from Dylan,” Samantha said. “We got it on the Friday and I had to hide it for two days. On Sunday, he said, ‘I haven’t got a cake.’”

The mum-of-three had to bite her tongue as she replied, “No, you haven’t.” Dylan, who enjoys playing football and computer games, had friends around for his birthday and Samantha got them to sing Happy Birthday as she brought out the candle-covered sponge.

Together with her two kids, the youngsters devoured the cake – although Samantha and a friend managed to nab a piece. She praised the Free Cakes for Kids scheme: “I think it’s really good. I didn’t know anything about it until Jo, the family support worker at Oaktree said. ‘It’s Dylan’s birthday soon, isn’t it? I’ll put him down for a cake.’”

One woman who knows a lot about the project is Helen Young. The Old Town baker has been involved since the community group launched in 2014 and since then has made dozens of cakes for Swindon youngsters.

“It’s so easy to make a cake and you can make someone’s day,” said Helen, 42. “Some of the children we back for, they’re not going to get a present, but they get a cake, candles and singing. It’s their special day.”

The first sponge made for the group by the keen baker was a book themed cake for a boy of 15: “I found out a few years later when I met the ladies who referred him that it was the first birthday cake he’d had. It made me all the more pleased I’d made it.”

Helen said of making the 1000th cake: “I was really honoured to do it.”

'Delight' at cakes, says charity chief

A young refugee claimed the 1,001st cake.

The eight-year-old, who is supported by Swindon charity the Harbour Project, was made a cake decorated with sparkly pink icing and a tiara.

Claire Garrett, chief executive at the Broad Street-based organisation, said children were delighted by the cakes baked by volunteers. Watching children enjoy their cakes reminded her how much is taken for granted, she added.

Nominate youngsters who could do with a cake...

Laura Cain, organiser of Free Cakes for Kids Swindon, thanked the 60 volunteers who gave their time and bought their own ingredients to bake: “This genuinely wouldn’t happen without them.” The organisation no longer needed new volunteers but was interested in hearing from those who support children and would like to nominate youngsters for a birthday cake.

Contact the organisation over Facebook: www.facebook.com/freecakesforkidsswindon.