Crafty Lisa finds new way of fund-raising for Gt Ormond Street Hospital

Mum Lisa Mainds is learning a new skill to raise funds for

Gt Ormond Street Hospital where her baby son receives regular treatment.

Lisa, who lives in Chesham, with husband Stuart and

14-month-old Findley, has always been creative and has now started making nappy

cakes – beautiful non-edible multi-tiered cakes built using nappies - to sell

online and at craft fairs.

"I have been very lucky in that Miranda Hart, who runs the

Nappy Cake Training Academy and holds classes across the country, gave me a

free place on one of her courses to learn how to make the cakes and source

supplies too," said Lisa.

"I had tried making nappy cakes on my own but could never

get beyond the first layer. Now I am making lovely ones to display at fairs

where I will take orders for cakes which I can make and sell to help Gt Ormond

Street."

Baby Findley is awaiting a kidney transplant and spends a

lot of time at Gt Ormond Street. He also has brain damage and cerebral palsy

and Lisa says staff at the hospital have been wonderful in caring for him. Now

she wants to do more to say thank you.

In September Lisa organised a charity disco and raised

£1,900 for the renal unit at the hospital. She looks for clothing to donate and

she saves her pennies for the hospital too.

"I would really like to do something on an on-going basis

and I think nappy cakes are the answer because, being useful as well as pretty,

they are popular with new mums," said Lisa.

Miranda, from Mayfield, East Sussex, runs Nappy Cake

Training Academy courses across the country and said she was glad to help Lisa

with her fund-raising effort.

She said: "I was happy to give Lisa a place on one of my

courses and am pleased she is keen to use her new skills to raise funds for Gt

Ormond Street Hospital which is highly valued by so many families."

Miranda's nappy cake courses are suitable for those wanting

to launch their own business, for gift shop owners and traders wanting to add

new product lines in-house as well as mums and others interested in earning

money while working from home.