A TEAM of military veterans helped pupils take part in a Great British Bake-Off-style challenge with one of the programme’s former contestants.

Sandy Docherty, who starred in the 2015 series of the BBC show, hosted the competition at Titus Salt School in Baildon, where she works as its welfare officer.

A group of 12 pupils, aged 12 and 13, split into teams and baked a cake and 12 cupcakes with one of five veterans in aid of Help for Heroes, a charity which offers lifelong support to service personnel and veterans with injuries and illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed Forces.

The event was also held to raise awareness of the work carried out by the charity, after some of the pupils visited veterans at the Phoenix House Recovery Centre in North Yorkshire.

One of the veterans who took part in the baking challenge was Matt Wightman, 48, who is originally from Cullingworth.

He served as a Lance Corporal in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, in a number of spells between 1984 and 2000, serving in Northern Ireland. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015.

He said: “I loved coming to do something like this. It was a pleasure.

“A lot of the children have heard of Help for Heroes, but they didn’t always know what it does.”

Mr Wightman’s team, which featured students Adrian Halliday, 12, and Kyle Jordan, 13, were crowned champion cake-bakers.

Certificates were also handed out for best presentation; most creative cake; best baking technique; best texture and best taste. The cakes were judged by some of the school’s teachers.

The group of veterans also included medics who had been medically discharged from the Army after serving in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ms Docherty, who runs Titus Salt’s after-school cookery club, praised the standard of the pupils’ and veterans’ work and said it raised awareness of the military among the children.

She said: “It was fantastic.

“We have made some great cakes, raised money and had a blast.

“The children have also teamed up with a veteran. I gave them a technical challenge to make an extra 12 cupcakes. The event also gave them a sense of achievement.”

The event raised around £80 for the military charity, with slices of cake also being sold.

The students themselves also enjoyed getting creative in the Higher Coach Road school’s kitchen today.

Bradley Gafary, 12, said: “It’s been fun to do something for the charity.

“It’s important that we show the veterans some appreciation.”

Connor Brotherton, 12, added: “It was a good experience. It just took a bit of time to bake the cake.”