INGREDIENTS required - some flour, eggs, sugar, a handful of willing volunteers and a little bit of love.....

Baking birthday cakes for children who would otherwise go without is at the heart of a new community initiative in Glasgow.

Free Cakes for Kids brings together volunteer bakers and families in need - and it is the perfect mix. ANN FOTHERINGHAM reports.

WHEN Glasgow psychiatrist Susie Rooney spotted a newspaper article about a nationwide volunteer baking project, she wanted to get involved.

"I called up the London HQ to see if they had a Glasgow branch and was asked if I'd like to set one up," she smiles.

"They gave me lots of support and tips, so it wasn't too daunting. That was about a year ago, and it has grown from strength to strength - now we have about 20 volunteers on our books and have made 41 cakes."

The idea behind Free Cakes for Kids is simple. Volunteer bakers from all walks of life - Susie has already signed up doctors, social workers, teachers, journalists and stay-at-home mums - create homemade birthday cakes for children who might otherwise go without.

"The reasons vary - it could be because of financial reasons, or because a family is homeless or living in temporary accommodation, or because parents are struggling with alcohol or drug addictions," explains Susie.

"We try to make the cakes as personal as possible, so each baker finds out a little about what the child likes, his or her age, and things like their favourite colour or cartoon character.

"Then they arrange to drop off the cake with the charity or the family."

Susie adds: "We have had some lovely feedback from the charities we are working with, so it's great that word is getting round and everyone is happy."

Susie started baking around three years ago.

"I have quite a demanding job and I work long hours, so I wanted to do something that was relaxing and creative," she explains.

"I had been thinking about volunteering for a while too, so this seemed like the perfect way to do both."

She grins: "I'm by no means an expert baker but you don't have to be. Lots of our volunteers are very accomplished, and some of the cakes they make are beautiful. But it's not about creating perfect sugarcraft masterpieces, it's about giving up a little bit of your time to help families in need."

Free Cakes for Kids Glasgow now works with a host of city charities including Kinship Carers, With Kids, Glasgow Association for Mental Health Young Carers, Geeza Break, Princes Trust Young Carers, Quarrier's and Women's Aid.

The group also hosts get-togethers for bakers and workshops, where the volunteers can learn new skills and share tips and experiences.

Lindsay Morris was one of the first bakers to sign up for Glasgow's Free Cakes for Kids.

"I thought it was an amazing concept and a fantastic way to help people," she explains.

"I'm not really a baker, I am more of a cook, so this was also a chance for me to learn new skills."

The 41-year-old from Cambuslang, who is a headteacher, adds: "The first bake I did was a batch of cupcakes for Women's Aid, and then I made my first birthday cake.

"When I dropped it off to the family, they were so incredibly thankful it was a great feeling to have made such a difference."

She says: "Baking a cake doesn't really take up very much time, it's something most people can do, and because you are delivering the cakes locally you immediately see the impact it has.

"There are so many children out there who lead challenging lives - Free Cakes for Kids is an amazing opportunity to help them."

After a busy start to 2015, Susie is hoping more bakers will get involved with the initiative.

"We are also really keen to hear from more charities who'd like us to bake for them," she adds. "It's a really worthwhile project and it's fun - it's just a lovely thing to do."

If you would like to get involved with Glasgow's Free Cakes for Kids you can contact Susie through the group's Facebook page or email cakesforkidsglasgow@outlook.com