Published: Thursday, 10th September, 2009 9:47am

Raising funds will be a piece of cake!

by Siew Peng Lee

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IT'S a fund-raiser that's a piece of cake and as easy as pie.

For that's just what the men of Dunfermline Abbey will be cooking up for "Men Baking for SLA" later this month.

The bake sale will see them making delicious pastries and pies to raise funds for Scottish Love in Action, which cares for and supports nearly 600 destitute Dalit ("untouchable") children in two home-cum-schools in Andhra Pradesh, India.

It's a cause that's obviously given the congregation food for thought, as 57 males - ranging in age from three to over 80 - have signed up since it was was announced at service on Sunday.

The abbey is the first congregation in Fife to take up the project, and member Andrew McLellan, who brought the idea to Dunfermline, hopes more will come forward this Sunday.

He chuckled, "I'm not sure if they're all in the first rank of bakers - some have never tried in their lives - but they're all going to give it a shot.

"Lots of the young boys have signed up as well and we're very pleased about that.

"I thought this would be something that would be fun to do and people have responded very warmly - but the nett result is that terribly poor children will get education and a better quality of life.

"I'm so pleased by the number of people who've been saying what good fun this is - it's good fun to do some real good.

"I think it will be great - our next aim is to make sure people buy what we bake!"

And already the abbey's men have promised plenty of goodies to help SLA raise the £220,000 it needs every year.

Mr McLellan, who is making Dayton walnut loaves and an apple turnover, said, "There's going to be key lime pie, Dundee cake, several people are making flapjacks and we've been promised a Mars Bar cake - so already I think people will be queuing up."

Female relatives are strictly forbidden from helping out but Mr McLellan said, "I have every confidence that all of the 57 men will be practising hard over the next two weeks so it will all be perfection. We hope to get rid of every crumb."

The bake sale will be held at Dunfermline Abbey after both services on 27th September. Donations are also welcome.

Anyone interested in helping the SLA can e-mail enquiries@sla-india.org or call 0131 5587395.