A MILTON teenager who overcame shyness to set up her own cupcake business helped her community say thank you to foodbank volunteers working flat out during Covid-19.

Karen McSporran, who runs home bakery Kazza’s Kreations, treated the team at Colston Milton Parish Church to boxes of her special cakes.

Jill Mackay, who runs North United Communities, said: “Karen is amazing, and so are the volunteers at the foodbank – they are doing such a great job and deserve recognition for their efforts.

“The community of Milton has really come together in such a positive way during this crisis.”

Karen, 16, who is a pupil at Springburn Academy, joined NUC’s youth project five years ago.

“I was really shy and didn’t have any confidence,” she explained. “I didn’t really have many friends to hang about with except at school so I went along to NUC to give it a try and I loved it.

“This is a great community. People hear you say you are from Milton and they have a set idea  about that, but this is a good place to live with good people who help each other.

“We all have to take a turn at helping out.”

Karen fell in love with baking through a Practical Cake Craft course at school.

“It was brilliant, and my teacher, Miss Kerrigan was really inspiring and helpful,” she said.

“She has been a great support.”

Karen’s fantastic cakes have won her legions of fans and word of mouth recommendations have spread so fast she is working flat out to keep up with orders.

“Already, I have 21 Father’s Day orders,” she laughed. 

“I also do build-your-own cupcake sets, where I provide the sponge, buttercream and decorations, and you can put it all together however you like. A local youth project ordered 360 – I was up almost all night making them.”

She smiled: “It didn’t put me off.”

Karen, who juggles baking with a part-time job and schoolwork, lives at home with her mum and dad, Karen and Robert.

“I do make a bit of a mess in my mum’s kitchen, though,” she laughed. “I love baking and I’d love to do it as a career one day.”