Giant cake with hundreds of candles arrives in Leeds as part of 1,000 mile road trip
Every candle on the cake represents a day in a child’s life
A giant cake which is touring 1,000 miles across the country has arrived in Leeds to raise awareness surrounding child mortality.
The 5ft tall cake was stationed by the ONE Campaign outside the Tetley Building in Aire Park today (September 17) as it continued its tour of the UK before reaching a finale in Westminster.
The cake tour aims to raise awareness of ONE’s Born to Live campaign, which calls on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to appoint an International Envoy for Children and Young People, to ensure Britain's G20 presidency in 2027 delivers for the next generation.
The campaign aims to raise awareness to the almost 5 million children around the world who die before their fifth birthday.
Adrian Lovett, UK Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, said: "Every year, millions of children are still dying before their fifth birthday from causes we know how to prevent. For those who do survive, too many young people are denied the opportunities they need to thrive.
"That's why we're taking Born to Live on the road, building support across the UK and calling on the Prime Minister to act.”
As the cake arrived in the city, Leeds residents were invited to add candles and messages of hope to the cake.
With the tour continuing in Manchester, Portmeirion, Liverpool, Margate and finally London, campaigners aim for a total of 1,826 candles to be added to the cake, to represent every day in a child’s life before they turn five.
The giant cake tour was launched in Glasgow on September 3, and since then it has Edinburgh, Gateshead, Birmingham and Bristol.
Adrian said: “Today in Leeds, we continued our 1,000-mile journey across the UK, asking the public to help us build a cake that stands for that simple idea, one candle and one message of hope at a time.
"Every child deserves to reach their fifth birthday, and the chance to thrive long into adulthood. Next year Britain hosts the G20. We're calling on the Prime Minister to appoint an International Envoy for Children and Young People, and make sure that moment delivers for the next generation, not just this one."