People & Planet First Week 2025 reminds us that caring for each other and caring for the earth must go hand in hand. As our Chair John Lister says, “Britain is a country of migrants… and bread is a central part of community life in any culture; it’s what we all share.” At Breadwinners, we live these values by supporting young refugees into meaningful work, building community cohesion at farmers’ markets, and sourcing organic baked goods that respect people and the planet. This is what People & Planet First looks like in action: hope, sustainability, and communities built on dignity and belonging.

We’re honoured to be recognised by PwC as winners of the “Impact in Social Enterprise” 2025 Award. This award celebrates the incredible work of our team, the voices of young refugees who co-lead our work — using AI-powered research, creativity, and collaboration to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.

When Joel first met Alaa, he was nervous. The moment could go either way. Alaa was polite, a little distant, unsure of what this new relationship might mean. They were strangers standing at the edge of something that neither of them could quite define yet.

When the final lap ended, we lingered to celebrate. Honestly, who won didn’t matter, the real victory was in being together, sharing the moment, and creating memories.

We wrapped up our adventure at the photo booth, pulling silly poses and capturing spontaneous snaps to remember the day. Reflecting on it, Kwiz summed it up perfectly:

“Celebrating my birthday at the racetrack was next level! After the race, I can honestly say I had the time of my life — surrounded by speed, thrill, and pure joy with friends.”

This won’t be our last outing, because at Breadwinners, the community always finds a way to come together, to laugh, to share, and to turn little moments into meaningful memories.

I had to learn some of these things on my own like

finding charities that can support me. I am grateful to charities like Breadwinners who

gave me my first working experience and trained me to gain some sort of skills

especially customer service.

At Breadwinners, we believe that creating opportunity for young refugees and protecting the planet go hand in hand. This year, we produced our 5th Participatory Action Research, and for the first time measured our Environmental Impact! We’re proud to share how we've deepened our commitment to both—growing sustainably while listening, learning, and acting on the voices of our community.

We’re proud to share that Breadwinners has been recognised as one of the Top 100 UK Social Enterprises in the SE100 2025, and named a finalist in the Impact Management Pioneer category by Pioneers Post and NatWest Social & Community Capital. This honour reflects not only the impact we’re making with and for young refugees, but also how we measure, manage and continuously improve that impact – with young people leading the way through Participatory Action Research.

Alex takes a reflective approach to mentoring. With some mentees, he shares short videos ahead of their meetups on topics like confidence or communication. “It helps spark conversations, and sometimes they challenge what’s in the video — which is great. It becomes an exchange.” He also described visiting a mosque for the first time with one mentee and how the time he has spent mentoring has been a learning experience for him, and window into different ways of seeing the world. One of his mentees even once told him how to catch a pigeon with his bare hands…but that’s a tale for another day…

So I was called to cover BTS for day one. We started of at a nail salon for the first location on the first day. This was Shanzay's place in London, a very colourful spot where I imagine beauty sparking conversations. The playlist, impeccable! Shanzay is a natural storyteller and when I see the photos I can see beauty and power, all of it makes sense!