Breadwinners: Transforming lives one loaf at a time

The team at Breadwinners are driven to create a community where refugees can thrive in the UK. They transform lives by delivering three comprehensive employability programmes for young refugees and people seeking asylum through selling bread at 18 market stalls across London and Brighton. They also stock coffee shops and events through their wholesale business. Through their model, they have been able to foster a welcoming community and improve the well-being of their participants.

 

The problem

Breadwinner's programme participants are a highly vulnerable and prejudiced population in the UK facing many barriers to employment. For context: 70% of refugees in London are estimated to be unemployed due to challenges such as a lack of English proficiency and UK work experience, but also the limits placed on the right to work of asylum seekers before they secure refugee status.

“Young asylum seekers and refugees want to engage with society. We have lost everything and we come here with nothing. Give us any opportunity to stay and work for your country. We are not able to make ours beautiful anymore, so let us help you to make your countries beautiful.” - Mohammad, Camberwell Market Stall Manager

 

Breadwinner's solution

Our programmes empower participants through three key ingredients which give them the work experience, skills, confidence, knowledge, and support to progress into other jobs.

1) A UK work experience (voluntary or paid) to enrich their CV.

2) Training sessions to learn key transferable hard and soft skills (e.g. Sales & Customer Service, Level 1 or 2 Food & Safety, CV Writing, Interview Skills, Budgeting, Applying to university, etc.).

3) 1-to-1 support from a volunteer mentor to work towards tangible goals.

“Last year, I was very depressed. I was at home and I didn’t have a job. I applied for a few jobs but my CV was weak and I didn’t know how to make my CV strong. After I started working at Breadwinners, I started to improve, I started to feel someone is here to support me, someone is here to teach me how to work, how to get experience. The best part for me is to come and speak with customers, have a chat with them and sell the bread.” - Mohammad, Camberwell Market Stall Manager

 

Breadwinner's  impact

Since 2016, their award-winning programmes have supported over 362 programme participants, delivered 499 employability training sessions, and supplied 3268 hours of 1:1 mentoring sessions. From April 2022-2023 alone, they have supported 133 through their programmes.

Their young people have reported an impressive 93% improvement in their overall well-being and 98% in their communication skills. Importantly, 88% of Breadwinners' Programme participants successfully secured further employment, university, or volunteering upon completing our programmes which is a key testament to their model.

“This job as a market stall manager has given me a purpose. It has taught me that I can do anything.” - Vanessa, Breadwinners Programme Graduate

 

Who is Breadwinners?

Breadwinners is a not-for-profit social enterprise and charity that provides Londoners with artisan organic bread and pastries while also supporting refugees through employment and work experience programmes. By operating market stalls and a wholesale model, they can give refugees jobs and create a community of customers, corporates, and producers that promotes the integration of newly arrived individuals into the UK. At the same time, their organisation helps to change negative perceptions of refugees by demonstrating their skills, hard work, and positivity, and inspiring other organisations to offer them employment opportunities. All while offering the best sourdoughs, natural levains, and organic pastries!

 

GIVE

Your support transforms lives. From funding new market stalls, to paying travel expenses of our Risers, to funding our core costs, every donation counts. Your gift also goes the extra mile as it enables Breadwinners to keep selling bread. They buy equipment for new market stalls with your support, which allows them to give new job opportunities to young refugees.

Support Breadwinners

 

ACT

Join Breadwinners! Volunteer as a mentor for a young refugee, or set up a fundraising challenge to support them. Check out these paid and voluntary roles available in London and Brighton.