Paul Hollywood signed off the decade by raising an incredible amount for charity

National treasure and Great British Bake Off icon, Paul Hollywood, spent his time over the festive period supporting Porchlight in their efforts to tackle homelessness across the Kent area.

Paul is not only a baking legend, but is also a hard-working patron of the charity, and gave his time to work alongside Porchlight and support the homeless and vulnerable.

Paul started his charity work by joining Porchlight outreach worker Lorraine on a cold winter’s morning meeting with those who are sleeping rough and providing support to keep them safe and help them escape the unforgiving streets.

For those of you who are unaware of the great work Porchlight carry out all around Kent, their work is truly inspiring, from taking thousands of calls helping people with advice and guidance, to providing people with the experience and skills to gain employment, their hard-work cannot be commended enough.

Of course, a visit from one of the UK’s most beloved chefs isn’t complete without some top tips and a festive bake from the man himself.

Paul held a special charity baking demonstration for Porchlight at Westgate Hall, and it drew in an incredible crowd of around 200 fans all eager to take home some fresh tips.

The festive bake was followed by a Q&A with the audience, where they found out the man himself prefers bread to cakes, and also a book signing for those in attendance. Paul also made sure to spend some time speaking from the heart about his experiences with Porchlight’s outreach team.

“I’ve spent time with the Porchlight staff and know how passionately they feel about making sure people get a second chance. I’m proud to support them and I encourage others to support them too. Together, we can make sure they’re there for the most vulnerable people in society.”

Visitors also enjoyed cup-cakes made by Butterfly Garden Tea Parties and took part in a raffle for prizes donated by Porchlight supporters.

Charities always struggle to reach the needed funding, there is always more that can be done, but with the help of people like Paul Hollywood it makes it that bit more possible to help change a life for the better and support those support those in need.

Paul’s selfless act of giving up his time raised an incredible £8,246 which will be used to help homeless and vulnerable people in Kent.

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