Children's Christmas Pudding Fund celebrates sweet 60th

The Children's Christmas Pudding Fund is celebrating 60 years of making and selling puddings of hope for the less fortunate.

This year, they aim to make enough puddings to help Woodside Special Care, Vera School of Autism, and Leliebloem House for Children raise funds for their organisations.

The Children's Christmas Pudding Mix Fund was established in 1965 by Alex and Jean McGregor. A group of spirited women was involved in mixing the first puddings at the McGregor home in Tokai.

They intended to sell the puddings to raise funds to help the needy children at a creche in Raapkraal.

In previous years, they produced between 2 500 and 3 000 puddings, with profits shared among five non-profit organisations. Since Covid-19, production has dropped to about 1 250 to 1 300 puddings a year, and only three non-profits can now be supported

Chairperson of the fund, Anita Reed, has been involved with the organisation for more than 33 years.

“It is fantastic to reach this milestone, it is hard work, as all of us have full-time jobs, so we do this on a voluntary basis,” she said.

Ms Reed said this is an important tradition that must be carried on.

“Sixty years ago, a group of ladies started this tradition; there is no way we will stop this, and the charities need this money,” she said.

The fund receives support from foundations, as well as private and corporate donors, but each year the organisation still needs to raise donations for pudding bowls, fruit, flour, breadcrumbs and other ingredients.

The fund has also partnered with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), which will be making the puddings in the oven and help with packaging.

Once the 1 300 puddings are prepared, they will be divided equally between Woodside Special Care, Vera School of Autism, and Leliebloem House for Children, which will sell them. These community non-profits sell the puddings at local markets and through friends, family, and word of mouth.

Ms Reed, who is also a representative of the Rondebosch East-based Vera School of Autism, said the organisation receives government support to pay teaching staff. However, any resources needed to assist people with autism must be funded through their own fund-raising efforts.

“We need support from people to help us find the necessary resources,” she said.

Clive Obery, who does voluntary work for the Rondebosch East-based Woodside, said all funds raised from the pudding will be used for the benefit of residents of the home that takes care of the intellectually disabled adults and children, as well as people with reduced mobility.

“We have 80 residents at Woodside, so we must provide them with everything that they need,” he said.

Leliebloem House in Crawford takes care of at-risk youth between the ages of 4 to 18 years. Leliebloem director, Francisco Cornelius, said the fund has become a great benefit for their organisation and various non-profits.

“While there isn't a specific budget attached to the funds raised through this event, we normally focus on the educational needs of the children with this money,” he said.

The puddings will go on sale from Monday, October 13, and can be purchased for R130 each by contacting the three charities.

To buy from Woodside call Cindy Bost at 072 197 2392 or email funding1@woodside.org.za; to buy from Vera School of Autism, call Anita Reed at 082 442 8894 or email fundraiser@vera.co.za; and to buy from Leliebloem House, call Claricia Hope at  083 974 5402 or email reception@leliebloem.co.za