Newark Bakkavor Desserts supports community and charities through fundraising and events

Newark’s hidden desserts gem not only supplies the country with delicious desserts, but has also raised over £250,000 to support charities in the area.

Bakkavor Desserts’ Newark site chooses a new charity to support each year and then aims to raise as much money as possible from volunteering to organising events and fundraising.

Over the last two years, due to the current economy and cost of living crisis, the company has been looking for charities where they can be involved and supply goods, rather than ask their employees for donations all the time.

In 2023 and 2024 they started to support two community food banks — Barnby Road School and at King’s Academy.

Both schools have set up a community supermarket which was not only open during the week but weekends as well and early mornings to be available for the wider community.

Kerry Rigby, the health and safety advisor at Bakkavor said: “We got a lot of fulfilment out of that and even though we have now moved on to another year, we will still support them.

“Whether we get overstock in the shop, we'll give them a ring and say we've got lots of trifles in, we've got lots of garlic bread, do you want to come and pick it up? And they'll give it out to the children.”

This year, the charity picked, based on a colleague's vote, was Children’s Bereavement Centre, which has benefited from the company’s support several times over the years.

Some of the events Bakkavor workers will be taking part in throughout the year include golf day, Newark’s half marathon, Newark’s Dragon Boat Race and they are organising an Easter, Christmas and summer raffle.

This year, as one of the dessert’s employees is a passionate member of Men in Sheds in Collingham, the company has decided to also support the charity.

From fundraising to giving them stuff to sell and helping them increase the number of members, the dessert company is working closely with the charity.

The Shed has presented the Bakkavor team with a carved plaque stating ‘The Shed is delighted to work with Bakkavo’r.

The health and safety advisor added: “They can see that there's a lot of opportunity for us to promote them because we do a lot of well-being activity on the site, but also for us to work with them and help them in terms of any particular project.

“It's quite an exciting collaboration and it was something Gertrude was really passionate about and keen for us to consider as a charity.”

The dessert company has a silent but strong presence in the community, from supporting schools and donating to care homes to charity work and building long-lasting relationships with its employees and members of the community.

Kerry added: “It is quite important to us too, because people don't know Bakkavor and most people in Newark who know Bakkavor now is because we do get involved in the community.

“All the schools know us and every community group knows us now of support which is really good for both us and them.”