Bark in the Park is a huge success

Forget Me Not Children's Hospice organised and hosted Bark in the Park at Heaton Park to raise money for Grace's Place, which will care for children with life-shortening conditions in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale once it opens later this year.

As well as a dog show - including category for best fancy dress - which was judged by the Malones from Gogglebox, Channel 4 Extreme Cake Maker Molly Robbins was on hand to make a show-stopping cake to celebrate one of the charity's children who has a complex heart condition being chosen to go the royal wedding.

Bark in the Park was organised and hosted by Forget Me Not, which has a CQC rated ‘outstanding’ children’s hospice in Huddersfield and is about to open Grace’s Place in Radcliffe, Bury.

The charity has already started caring for some of the 650 children with life-shortening conditions in North Manchester through its Hospice at Home service, and is aiming to open the doors to Grace’s Place in October this year.

The charity’s royal patron is Princess Beatrice and one of the children Forget Me Not helps to care for in Huddersfield – 13-year-old Olivia Benn from South Kirkby, near Pontefract – is going to Harry and Meghan’s wedding on May 19 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. 

Olivia was born with complex congenital heart disease. She’s had seven surgeries, three of which were major open heart surgery, with the first one taking place when she was only five weeks old.  

Kirsty Franks, general manager of Forget Me Not’s Children’s Hospice Grace’s Place, said: “At Forget Me Not we believe in ‘the magic of yes’ and when we found out one of our children was going to the royal wedding we knew we had to mark the occasion in a unique way.

"Extreme Cake Maker Molly doesn’t live too far away from our new children’s hospice in North Manchester and with the Queen such a lover of corgis we wanted an elaborate, show-stopping cake that would tie in with our Bark in the Park event and celebrate Olivia being chosen to attend Harry and Meghan’s wedding.”

Extreme Cake Maker Molly, aged 27 from Rossendale, said: “Anyone who watches the show will know my speciality is designing and making animal-themed cakes – and I love dogs in particular.

"When I heard about the wonderful work Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice does I wanted to support the charity somehow.

"With one of their children going to Harry and Meghan’s wedding it was the perfect opportunity to create a cake inspired by Queen Elizabeth and her beloved corgis.”

Olivia said: “The cake was amazing! Being presented with the cake and being able to cut it and taste it before everyone else was so nice.

"It’s made me really excited to go to the royal wedding.

"I can’t believe I’ve been chosen to go and I can’t wait to see Meghan in her wedding dress and spot the other members of the royal family.”

Forget Me Not needs to raise a total of £500,000 before it can open the doors to its new children’s hospice in Radcliffe to provide overnight and in-house support for children and families across North Manchester.

People can donate online: https://www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk

If you would like to see how Molly made the cake, watch out for Channel 4's Royal Wedding Special of Extreme Cake Makers in the week running up Harry and Meghan’s big day.