Pupils enjoyed a flour-filled afternoon of cake baking fun - oh yes they did - when a special guest joined them for cookery class.

The Theatre Royal Norwich's favourite pantomime dame popped in to visit the excited youngsters at Larkman Primary School, in Clarkson Road, Norwich, yesterday where butterfly cake-baking was on the timetable to raise awareness of the Benjamin Foundation Butterfly Cake Bake.

The Norfolk-based charity - which has a butterfly for its logo - turns 18 on October 25 and as part of its birthday celebrations is encouraging people to have fun by baking butterfly cakes and hosting fundraising cake bakes.

Armed with wooden spoons and mixing bowls and with lots of flour-throwing going on too, the enthusiastic youngsters at Larkman Primary certainly had a great time taking part in the celebrations with their special guest.

Eight-year-olds Shai Hales and Holly Waller said it was one of their favourite cookery lessons and that having the panto dame join them for class was 'awesome'.

'I liked having the flour thrown on me because it felt like snow,' added Holly.

Richard Gauntlett, who was dressed as Sarah the Cook for the occasion and will be playing Widow Twankey in the theatre's Christmas show Aladdin, said: 'We had a great time - they are a lovely bunch of children.'

He urged everyone to join in with the Benjamin Foundation's tasty anniversary fundraiser for which baking expert Mary Berry, from the BBC's The Great British Bake-off, is sharing one of her recipes.

He said: 'I am a big fan of Mary Berry and the cakes are really nice. It is a lovely recipe - everyone should get baking!'

The Benjamin Foundation, which is in memory of Benjamin Draper who died in a motorbike crash when he was just 17, was set up in 1994 to provide a small number of rural youth services in north Norfolk.

It has grown over the years and now operates more than 20 services across the county including five supported accommodation centres for young homeless people, crisis intervention for families through its parent support advisor team, and a newly opened children's home for 11 to 16-year-olds.

Benjamin's father Richard Draper, founder and chief executive of The Benjamin Foundation, said: 'We now help thousands of people each year to deal with the heartbreaking, devastating or simply exhausting challenges that life throws at them.

'Whether we're providing a safe place for a homeless teenager to live or helping to rebuild a family in crisis, our work is all about providing hope, opportunity, stability and independence for people in Norfolk who are in real need. 'We're hoping that lots of people in Norfolk will help us celebrate our 18th birthday by organizing their own Butterfly Cake Bake to raise money for The Benjamin Foundation.'

• Find out more about The Benjamin Foundation's 18th birthday fundraising celebrations and how you can organize your own Butterfly Cake Bake by visiting www.benjaminfoundation.co.uk

• Aladdin will be at the Theatre Royal from December 18 until January 19. For more information or to book tickets call 01603 630000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

• Are you organising a special event for charity? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk