HENRIETTE Lundgren has been baking up a sweet treat for under-privileged children for three years.

Now she’s hoping the community will back her Free Cakes For Kids campaign by voting for it to win funding.

The 32-year-old organises the project which gives free birthday cakes to children whose parents cannot afford them from her home in Alan Bullock Close, East Oxford.

Mrs Lundgren, who runs a management training business, said: “It is done by volunteers. It brings families who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake together with home bakers who bake more cakes than they need. The cost of doing this project is minimal but the money will allow us to keep running.”

Set up in 2008, the group has now baked more than 140 cakes and has 25 volunteers, including a taxi driver who delivers the cakes.

It runs on donations and small grants such as this one.

In a new community initiative, the people of Oxfordshire will have the final say on which three organisations from a local shortlist will be awarded £6,000.

Natwest’s CommunityForce fund was launched in July to help local groups.

More than 50 have been shortlisted from Oxfordshire but only three will get money. They include The Friends of Wychwood, a group of volunteers who help conserve and promote the forest, confidential support service Banbury & District Samaritans, and Oxford Concert Party which puts on community concerts and workshops.

Chipping Norton Lido is shortlisted. The open air pool was under threat when West Oxfordshire District Council no longer wanted to take responsibility for it. It was taken over by the community.

Banbury-based charity Dogs for the Disabled is also shortlisted. From its training centre it teaches 50 dogs a year to help the disabled by picking things up and flicking switches.

Mark Reed, CEO for Natwest in Oxfordshire, said: “CommunityForce has clearly captured the imagination of the community and I’m delighted to see so many nominations.”

Local charities and organisations were nominated online earlier this year. Polls are open until October 23. The three groups with the most votes in each area will be awarded the funding. To see the full shortlist and to vote visit natwest.com/communityforce.