Cake to the rescue: how these PhD students are cooking up a sense of community

"When the National Astronomy Meeting, organized by the UK Royal Astronomical Society, descended on Durham University in July, Martina Veresvarska saw the gathering as an opportunity not just to talk shop, but also to indulge her baking hobby. The annual conference, usually held in the British Isles, is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Veresvarska is a PhD candidate at the UK university's Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy and a co-founder of the astronomy department's charity bake-sale organization, Cakes for Good."

"At this year's conference, Veresvarska and fellow astronomy PhD student Ciera Sargent ran their largest bake sale so far, helped by ten volunteer bakers from the department. During an organized coffee break at the meeting, the team catered for nearly 1,000 attendees and raised roughly £450 (a little over US$600) in just 30 minutes for the Great North Air Ambulance Service."

The National Astronomy Meeting convened at Durham University in July. Martina Veresvarska, a PhD candidate, co-founded Cakes for Good to rebuild departmental community after COVID-19. The group ran a large bake sale at the conference, staffed by volunteers, serving nearly 1,000 attendees and raising about £450 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service in 30 minutes. Cakes for Good donates all proceeds to charity and invites departmental input on beneficiary selection. The initiative illustrates how small, time-limited fundraising activities can strengthen connections and support local causes. The model offers an accessible option for busy or financially constrained researchers to contribute to their communities.

Read at Nature