Felixstowe’s 13 Year Old Chef Spreads Happiness



Hello my name is Yasmin Barratt and I am 13 years old from Felixstowe. I’m really happy to write an article that is published in The Felixstowe Magazine’s “Kids News” category!

I understand that it has been a very hard and tough time at the moment for everyone, and I have been doing my best to help out in the situation. Some things that I have done include:

Creating a page on Facebook called Yasmin’s Cakes and Bakes. This is a page where I post an assortment of recipes with step by step instructions and pictures. It’s has helped a lot of people whilst in lockdown, to follow the baking recipes, and I think the fact that the pictures are included, helps even more, because they can see how it is meant to look before and after every step. This is something that has kept people busy, and giving ideas for activities that will keep the children entertained whilst there is no school. I hope it has benefited not only people from Felixstowe, but from all around the world!

I have also created a group on Facebook called Felixstowe Lockdown Pen Pals. This is a group for people in Felixstowe and the surrounding areas to start writing to each other, and I think that this will make people feel less lonely and the kids more excited because they’ll know they’re going to receive mail. This group is designed for anyone at any age, and I am also planning on getting in touch with the care homes to see if any of the elderly people who live there would like to receive mail from anyone in the group. I am planning on maybe having a “Star Person of the Week” and this will consist of posting a photo of one of the people from the care home and writing some facts and interests. Then if anyone wants to write to them, they can just comment on the post and message me for any questions or concerns.

I am at the moment creating a recipe book full of other families recipes, or recipes that are from peoples home countries. This has made people feel more welcome, because they love the fact that I am interested in other cultures and cuisines. This book will also produce more recipes for Yasmin’s Cakes and Bakes, and people have already been requesting a copy of it, for when it is finished. I am still on the hunt for a lot more recipes, but so far, I have about 6! I am aiming to get at least 30 recipes, if you have any that would be amazing (you can get in touch with me on my Facebook page).

Lastly, I have been making face masks on my sewing machine for my mum who works at the NHS. I have also made some ear protectors for when she has to wear face masks at work, as it just makes life easier for her. On the subject of sewing, I have made my grandma a gardener’s apron and my grandad an artist’s apron. I have tried to cheer as many people up as possible, and make people happier during
lockdown!

Thank you for taking your time to read.

Yasmin