A heartwarming community event in memory of a much-loved Pembrokeshire schoolgirl has raised over £7,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.
Honey Foxx French, 12, tragically passed away last year and her incredible family marked her 13th birthday by baking thousands of cakes in her memory.
Honey, who was called Bee by her family, had a very caring nature and desire to help people, which inspired the family to set up this fundraiser.
The hugely successful event, which was called ‘Honey’s Big Birthday Bake Off’, saw family and friends join forces to come together to bake, decorate and box 2,400 cupcakes all in Honey’s memory.
To honour Honey’s memory, the family chose to support the all-Wales Charity that helped them on the day she passed away.
Honey’s mum, Jessica, said: “Honey was a force of nature and was always destined to make a difference in this world. Honey-bee was the most loved of all little girls—before her and after her.
“She filled every inch of space around her with her presence. Her laugh was husky, cheeky, and contagious. Even if her jokes crossed a line, you couldn’t help but laugh—she was hilarious.”
The bake off, which took place in Johnston, was led by Honey’s mother, Jessica Foxx and father Alan French. Family and friends worked around the clock to meet the constant demand for the much-wanted cakes.
Originally, their goal was to sell 100 colourful boxes of six cupcakes, but due to the high demand, they remarkably received 400 orders, which raised an amazing £7,115.
Jessica would like to thank Honey’s brothers, Travis and Felix, who put all their efforts into making Honey’s Big Birthday Bake Off happen, and the ‘wonderful couple April and Alan Warlow’, who gave up their home and roped their street into giving up their ovens.
The volunteers on the day described the atmosphere as ‘emotional but electric’, with many working into the early hours to make sure every last cupcake was finished and delivered on time.
Each cake was beautifully decorated with yellow cupcake cases, trays of pink sugar decorations, and box after box was carefully packed and labelled with Honey’s name and a bee-themed tribute.
Reflecting on the huge success of Honey’s Big Birthday Bake Off, a grateful Jessica said: “We’ve cried happy tears doing this for Honey. The support has been overwhelming. I never imagined it would grow this big.
“Honey’s caring nature and desire to help, both fuelled our drive to help the wonderful team at the Wales Air Ambulance.”
Prior to the fundraiser, additional fundraising events also took place, which included a raffle and ‘Honey’s Bees Wax Off’, which saw family friend Kevin Higgins undergo a sponsored chest wax in the pub to boost donations.
The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
The family recently had an emotional visit to the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters in Dafen, where they met medics and staff. Honey’s parents presented a cheque of £7,115 to Patient Liaison Nurse, Jo Yeoman, and the Charity’s Senior Individual Giving Manager, Emma Moore.
The Wales Air Ambulance crew and staff were touched to receive cakes in memory of Honey from Jessica and Alan.
The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.
Emma Moore, who has built a close relationship with the family, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Honey’s family for fundraising for our Charity. It was a beautiful way to remember Honey and mark what would have been her 13th birthday.
“The courage shown by Honey’s family is so touching. Honey sounded like a wonderful girl who made a difference in this world, something that her family are continuing to do in her memory. The community came together to remember Honey and raised an amazing amount for our all-Wales Charity. We are touched that the family wanted to help our service after losing Honey.
“The family are very grateful to the Wales Air Ambulance and want to help save lives across Wales. The bake off in memory of Honey will help us to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most, which is incredible. Thank you to everyone who supported this event and marked Honey’s birthday in such a special way.”
If you’d like to donate to the Wales Air Ambulance in Honey’s memory, you can do so by visiting www.walesairambulance.com/donate-v2
The starfish story is very poignant to the French family and was read at Honey’s funeral.
