A GRANDMOTHER of three is rolling up her sleeves in readiness for a 12-hour charity bake-off challenge to raise money for two good causes.

Instead of her initial plan to plunge from a plane to mark her 50th birthday, Ruth Winters, a school caretaker who grew up in Winchcombe but now living near Tewkesbury, will be mixing, beating, baking and icing hundreds of cup cakes to raise money for two charities close to her heart.

She is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for Winchcombe's Day Care Centre and for the stillborn and neonatal death charity Sands.

Mrs Winters took up her hobby five years ago and on Saturday September 12 she will be donning her apron and oven gloves for the 6am to 6pm marathon bake off at Redbrook Kitchens, Park Farm, near Winchcombe.

She is aiming to turn out a sweet 3,500 cup cakes which will be iced and boxed.

She said: “My family weren’t keen on me doing a parachute jump so we came up with the bake off challenge instead. Both the day care centre and Sands have provided support to different members of my family in the last few years so this was the ideal opportunity to give something back in appreciation of their help.”

Her son Tom and partner Bridie Bottrill lost their daughter, Grace, in August 2012 after she was stillborn. She lived for just 62 minutes and her death left the couple and their families devastated. Bridie received excellent support and counselling from Sands which helped her deal with the bereavement.

The day care centre was chosen as Mrs Winters' late grandmother Hilda Greening who died in July 2012 aged 109, spent many a happy day at the Langley Road Centre and now Mrs winters' own dad, Roy, 83, of Barnmeadow Road, Winchcombe, is also a regular there.

“We thought the world of my nan. She loved the day centre and they are now helping my dad who has vascular dementia.”

Owner of Redbrook Kitchens, Paul Masek, is providing three ovens for the bake off and she’s aiming to have more than 300 buns baking at any one time.

Tate + Lyle Sugars, Dr Oetker Ltd and The Craft Company have all donated ingredients and goodies in support of the day.

“I will be sticking to plain, lemon or chocolate sponge with a simple swirl of icing. I do enjoy baking and I’ve been asked to make some very odd cakes but this is going to be my biggest challenge yet," she added.

Cake-lovers are welcome to call into Redbrook Kitchens at Greet, during the challenge and make a donation in return for a box of cakes or sponsor her via a justgiving link on her Facebook page: Ruth’s 12 Hour Bake Off.