Let’s go back to where it all started
Did you know that Breadwinners started in 2015 with the idea to use bread as a tool to support people struggling with employment to set up their own business? This idea was made real by Marika Wilkinson, who stepped down as Director to join our board, as Fundraising Trustee and who we are saying goodbye to (but really only “hasta luego”).
Marika has played an instrumental role in Breadwinners. Working with Shipton Mill, she founded Breadwinners in 2015, enlisted our incredible trustee board, designed the business model and secured the first grants to get us going, launching our first ever market in Victoria Park, with many friends pitching in along the way!
Marika in the early stages of Breadwinners, when we sold bread via a bike delivery service! (Years before Deliveroo and Getir… just saying…)
Breadwinners Foundation was officially launched in April 2016 to provide training, finances and equipment to help people struggling to run their own bike delivery service selling artisan bread. Marika brought her experience from the refugee sector many people supported were refugees.
“Breadwinners Foundation works as a catalyst to empower people who are unemployed to transform their circumstances by becoming their own boss.”
With original partner charities St Mungo’s, Café from Crisis and Refugee Council, programme participants were able to buy bread at cost price from Breadwinners’ two partners - Celtic Bakers and Gail’s Artisan Bakery - for delivery to Central, North and East London postcodes, with all profits going to the person running the business..
In summer 2017, Marika launched our first market stall in Victoria Park Market – and this has now grown into Breadwinners selling bread across London on 9 market stalls, with 100% of profits going back to young people seeking asylum and refugees.
Marika is now coming to the end of her second term as a Fundraising Trustee, which means she will be taking a break and allowing a new expert fundraiser to join our board.
“We arm those who need it most with everything they need to set up and power their own bread delivery business, delivering fresh, locally sourced and beautiful bread to their community by bike.”
Marika is now coming to the end of her second term as a Fundraising Trustee, which means she will be taking a backseat and allowing a new expert fundraiser to join our board.
Marika, thanks so much for reading all my tedious funding applications! So much proofreading and correcting my English! If you read my applications you can most probably hear my Spanish accent! - Martin (Breadwinners Director)
These are hard boots to fill, but we are looking for a fabulous Fundraising Trustee! Please help us by spreading the word!
Based on an article from October 2018 published by BusinessAdvice.