A Quick and Easy Guide to Our Programmes
We talk a lot about our programmes on our blog and on social media, and whilst we have a few bits and pieces explaining the programmes on our website, we felt like it would be good to give you all a quick and easy introduction – so next time you see “Risers”, “Breadwinners” and “Proofers” flying around, you know what the dough we are on about!
All our programmes are run by our Programmes Manager, Charlotte. You can learn a bit more about her in this blog post.
The Risers Programme
The Risers programme is what we call our early intervention support for young people seeking asylum in the UK. As people seeking asylum in the UK can’t take on paid work, it’s voluntary work experience training. We’re actually part of a nationwide petition to change this and lift the ban on people seeking asylum working in the UK – you can learn more about #LiftTheBan here.
Our Risers assist our Breadwinners on market stalls, learning key skills around sales and commerce as well as developing their language skills. It’s usually the first work experience they’ve ever done. On top of this, we run weekly training sessions (currently these are over Zoom) to improve skills like CV writing or entrepreneurship, fun community events like day trips, and our Risers all get access to a personal development mentor.
If a Riser then is granted refugee status and right to remain in the UK, they might progress to becoming a paid Breadwinner, or they will have a host more skills to then go on into another paid role in whatever sector they want to pursue.
The Breadwinners Programme
The Breadwinners programme was the first programme we started with at Breadwinners – as you might be able to guess! – and it’s the core of what we do.
Our Breadwinners are refugees who have been granted refugee status and the right to remain in the UK. The programme employs Breadwinners as Market Stall Managers, selling our artisan bread to customers across London’s best markets. It’s a very fun and social job, including lots of chatting with customers and enjoying the best bread that London’s bakers have to offer!
The helps refugees who have never had a paid job in the UK before to get something valuable on their CVs, get a bit of training under their belt, build social networks and ultimately go on towards the career they want. Recently, we’ve has Breadwinners go on to work for UberEats, the Red Cross and in local cafes and delis.
It’s also mainly built to improve wellbeing for our Breadwinners. That’s why community training events and activities, from our weekly training sessions to days out and sports events, are also a key part of the programme.
If you are part of an organisation who works with refugees, or else know anyone who would be interested, we are currently hiring for our Breadwinners programme, and you can find out more by clicking the button below.
The Proofers Programme
Our final programme was developed alongside our online bread delivery service, during the Covid-19 pandemic, as for a while we could not attend our usual markets. Our Proofers were mostly Breadwinners during the pandemic, and now have several people who work across both programmes. Proofers are Online Sales Representatives, assisting with customer support. Like Breadwinners, this programme is for people with settled refugee status in the UK.
It’s a great way to develop capability with technology and working online from home – a skill that is going to be pretty essential going forwards! That’s on top of the language skills and other training we provide, just like our other programmes.
Hopefully, now you feel like you have a better understanding of our three current programmes and what we do at Breadwinners! If you want to keep engaging with us and learning about us, follow us on Instagram at @wearebreadwinners or sign up to our newsletter below!