Dorret Conway, one of the participants in this year’s Great British Bake Off, was one of the judges for the competition, along with Janet Marshall, cake development expert at Park Cakes in Bolton, and Keith Wallis, Senior Head Chef at the four star Holiday Inn Bolton Centre.

Dorret said: “It was lovely to be invited to judge the Big Bolton Charity Cake Bake at Laserase Bolton and it’s certainly much more fun this side of the table! There were some amazing cakes and it is fantastic to see people making such an effort and getting so much pleasure out of baking.”

The event was organised to raise awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and to raise money for national charity Verity – which supports women whose lives are affected by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – and the Gynaecology and Dermatology departments of the Royal Bolton Hospital, which help women with this syndrome.

There were five categories in the Big Bolton Charity Cake Bake: the Best Decorated Cake Award; the Tastiest Cake Award; the Most Creative Cake Award; the Young Baker Award and the Biggest Cake Catastrophe Award. There was also a Best Cake in the Competition Award.

Dorret Conway announced the results and prizes included afternoon tea for two at Slattery’s, a family run patissier and chocolatier in Whitefield, and dinner for two at the Holiday Inn Bolton Centre. An auction for a cake baked specially by Dorret, covered in cute white chocolate frogs, raised £50. Park Cakes kindly donated a superb cake for the charity raffle promoting PCOS, which was won by the hospital, and 2chefspassion donated a wonderful cake for the ‘guess the weight of the cake’ competition, which was won by 12 year old Abbie, who guessed 2.2kg when the weight was 2.3kg The cake bake was followed by a charity cake sale and afternoon tea.

Janet Marshall from Park Cakes said: “It’s nice to see that so many people still bake at home and to such a high standard – and it was great that there were entries from young people and both men and women.”

Keith Wallis added: “I very much enjoyed helping to judge the Big Bolton Charity Cake Bake. There were some very interesting flavours, which was a nice surprise, and all in all it was a very good day.”

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects millions of women. The symptoms of PCOS include ovarian cysts, irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant, weight gain, excessive hair growth on the face and body, hair loss from the head, acne and the increased risk of getting certain types of cancer.

Julie Kershaw, Clinic Manager at Laserase Bolton, said: “We were delighted to welcome people to the clinic and to raise over £350 for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the Gynaecology and Dermatology departments of the hospital. We were pleased that so many people took the time to enter their cakes and to come along, and we would like to thank all those involved, especially Dorret and our other judges, for making it such a special occasion.”

At Laserase Bolton we offer a range of treatments for PCOS sufferers, including laser hair reduction for treating excessive hair growth using the Soprano XL laser, and a number of treatments for managing acne, including NLite laser, AFT 420 pulsed light and medical skin peels. The clinic also offers a number of treatment products to ensure optimum results. All treatments are carried out by highly-experienced medical professionals following a free, no-obligation consultation.

To find out more about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the help available please visit www.verity-pcos.org.uk. There are also a number of informal local support groups around the country for women with PCOS to make contact with others in their area. The nearest local group to Bolton is in Manchester. To find out when and where they meet, or for information on other local support groups, email localgroups@verity-pcos.org.uk.

The Big Bolton Charity Cake Bake Winners were:

Steve Williams – Best Cake in Competition
Mandy Millard – Tastiest Cake
Andrew McCann – Most Creative Cake
Jo Smithers – Best Decorated Cake
Penny Harvey – Biggest Cake Catastrophe
Karen Waugh – Best Staff Cake
Amber Woodward (14 years old) – Young Baker Award