Fundraising baker David Brown, fondly known as Lord Drizzle of Beccles, was presented with a Points of Light Award on the bank holiday weekend, in recognition of the £120,000 he has raised for Help for Heroes since 2009.
The award – and a framed letter signed by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – was presented to him by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, Lucinda Hutson, at Exchange Square, Beccles, where David was, once again, selling cakes in aid of the Armed Forces charity.
And, true to form, he raised another £1,100 on the day.
Points of Light awards recognise outstanding individual volunteers – people who are making a change in their community – and 80-year-old David’s award is well deserved. He started baking with his wife, Pat, after their daughter returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, in 2009, with every penny raised at their initial garden cake stall going to Help for Heroes.
The couple had raised almost £50,000 together when Pat died in 2016, and David admits, in the immediate aftermath, he didn’t want to do anything. But spurred on by his daughter – and knowing his wife would have wanted him to continue – David now bakes and sells more than 1,000 cakes a year and has raised more than £120,000.
After receiving the award, he said:
“I was lost for words. A little bit upset if I’m honest because my late wife wasn’t there to receive it with me. She started it all. If it hadn’t been for her, we wouldn’t be here.
“I’m so proud and honoured to receive the award and of what we’ve achieved. It’s become a way of life for me. People say I’m doing it for Help for Heroes; but Help for Heroes has given me a reason to get up on a daily basis. They’ve given me something to do. You’ve got to have something in your life otherwise you’d stagnate. And this is very worthwhile.
“I also have to thank everybody who has supported us down the years by buying the cakes – they’ve all been very generous. And we should always remember that because the money’s going to charity, there’s a lot fewer calories in the cakes,” he laughed.
Help for Heroes’ Area Fundraising Manager, Dean Williams, added:
“David is an extraordinary individual and is an inspiration, not just to other fundraisers, but to me and all my colleagues at the Charity. He’s something of a legend among the staff.
“We can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done down the years. But it’s great to see him getting recognition beyond East Anglia and Help for Heroes. It’s thoroughly deserved. And, what’s more, his cakes are delicious. Pat taught him well.”
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps veteran families to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 31,000 people and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
The Charity supports veteran families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.
