World record holding fundraiser Anne Baker will celebrate her 109th birthday later this month and to celebrate her family are continuing her fundraising efforts for the NSPCC.
Last summer, Anne entered the Guinness World Records after becoming the oldest person to receive an MBE – she was awarded that honour in 2020 aged 106 for raising money for the NSPCC for more than 60 years.
Anne, of Harnham, Salisbury, will mark her birthday on 14 May with a lunch with her extended family but wanted her fundraising for the NSPCC to continue, so a Just Giving page has been set up in her name. So far, more than £1,000 has been raised and money keeps rolling in.
Her family believe she could be the oldest person in Wiltshire and it is a tribute to her spirit that she thought that her favourite charity should benefit from her birthday celebrations.
When Anne was born the First World War had not yet started and George V had just come to the throne, so she is delighted that she will now get to see the coronation of King Charles III just before her birthday.
Over the course of her lifetime, Anne has seen enormous changes, having been born before the existence of the Internet, when there was no television, when aeroplanes were flimsy and dangerous, cars were considered unreliable and a washing machine was still a dream to end wash-day drudgery.
Anne’s son David said: “Mother of five, Granny, Great Granny and even Great Great Granny, Anne loves children and children love her. It is this love which inspired her to support the NSPCC.
“For over 30 years she has hosted a coffee morning at her home in Harnham. This event is more like a fête, with stalls, a raffle and, of course, coffee, cakes and biscuits. She has been greatly helped in this by the Salisbury Committee of the NSPCC, and in particular her neighbour, Sheril Witt.
“In recent years these events have raised thousands of pounds for the charity. Asked why the NSPCC meant so much to her, she replied, ‘I have always loved children. We owe them protection; they are our future’.”
David added: “She is a remarkable person and even at the age of nearly 109 she is still engaged with all her extensive family and in doing her daily crossword.
“We are very proud of her for everything that she has achieved in her life and, particularly, the money she has raised for the NSPCC. We hope that the Just Giving page will help to continue to honour her work for the charity.”
Emma Hildesley, NSPCC community fundraising manager for Wiltshire, said: “Anne’s continuous dedication and love for children shines once again. She’s an incredible support to the NSPCC and we could not do what we do without people like Anne – someone who is selfless and is passionate about safeguarding the next generation.
“Anne has set a wonderful example of how we can make the world a safer and better place for young people.”
If you would like to donate to the fund for the NSPCC to celebrate Anne Baker’s 109th birthday, you can do so by visiting her Just Giving page (see below).
All funds raised will help fund the NSPCC’s vital services here in Wiltshire and right across the UK. Just £3 could pay for the NSPCC’s Speak Out Stay Safe programme to reach one primary school child, teaching them how to recognise abuse and neglect and empowering them to speak out if they are worried about anything.
In 2021/22, 15,925 children in 70 schools across Swindon and Wiltshire took part in the Speak Out Stay Safe programme.
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