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Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656
Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760
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Frost and Snow Cupcake Bakery, established in 2010, offer us the cake with a conscience thanks to social entrepreneur Sarah Frost and housing group Midland Heart.
The social enterprise was born as part of a larger £10 million regeneration project in Snow Hill - a re-development of self-contained flats for the homeless with a bakery to employ the residents nestled underneath.
The key to social enterprise is that it operates like a business - it has to make a profit to survive. What makes it 'social' is the way the revenue is spent: this money is reinvested back into the social heart of the organisation. Frost and Snow makes and sells beautiful (and delicious!) cupcakes, but its true objective is to create training and job opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness and want to work.
The bakery takes on two volunteers at a time for a 12-week training programme. During this period, they are taught invaluable key skills to allow them to progress into full-time employment. Frost involves the trainees in every aspect of the business, from marketing and research to sales and administration - she believes this technique allows each person to begin to find out what they excel at. They can then be encouraged to progress in these areas.
The bakery’s first volunteer, Craig Finch, got involved in the project as part of his rehabilitation programme after leaving prison. Living at a hostel run by Midland Heart, Finch came to Frost and Snow after applying for over 300 jobs with no success. “Sarah gave me the opportunity to prove myself”, he explains. Where others have closed their doors, Frost and Snow gives those who have experienced homelessness a chance to get themselves back into the job market.
They are now on their third cohort of trainees. Three out of the four previous workers have gone on to full-time employment. Finch now works for a utilities company but regularly comes back to volunteer for the bakery. Sarah explains how this type of behaviour demonstrates the committed work ethic the volunteers learn on the programme. “It's been so exciting to see our trainee's grow in confidence and skill as the weeks go by. I'm really proud of their attitude towards work, and getting back into employment. Each week they become more self-assured in the kitchen, and it's always wonderful to see creativity at play”.
As 'The Snow Hill' is still in development, Frost and Snow currently operate online and at markets and one-off events such as The Clothes Show. February saw the social enterprise head to the city centre for a Valentine’s Day promotion with a stand in The Pavilions Shopping Arcade - they sold more than 550 cupcakes over the weekend. All profits are re-invested to help the homeless community in Birmingham.
”We are not an ordinary bakery. We are hoping that everyone will love our cupcakes and, those that do, will be making a real difference to the lives of homeless people,” explains Sarah. “The bonus is that every purchase contributes to creating opportunities to help previously homeless people to get back on their feet... and profits will be used to support the homeless to regain their independence”.
If you have experienced homelessness and want a slice of the action, call Sarah on 0845 603 6166 or 07827 232 820 to find out more.
June – July 2024 : Reflections
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
- Issue 105 : Oct-Nov 2016
- Issue 104 : Aug-Sept 2016
- Issue 103 : May-June 2016
- Issue 102 : Mar-Apr 2016
- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
- Issue 100 : Nov-Dec 2015
- Issue 99 : Sept-Oct 2015
- Issue 98 : July-Aug 2015
- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
- Issue 88 : June 2014
- Issue 87 : May 2014
- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
- Issue 84 : February 2014
- Issue 83 : December 2013
- Issue 82 : November 2013
- Issue 81 : October 2013
- Issue 80 : September 2013
- Issue 79 : June 2013
- Issue 78 : 78
- Issue 77 : 77
- Issue 76 : 76
- Issue 75 : 75
- Issue 74 : 74
- Issue 73 : 73
- Issue 72 : 72
- Issue 71 : 71
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- Issue 69 : 69
- Issue 68 : 68
- Issue 67 : 67
- Issue 66 : 66
- Issue 65 : 65
- Issue 64 : 64
- Issue 63 : 63
- Issue 62 : 62
- Issue 61 : 61
- Issue 60 : 60
- Issue 59 : 59
- Issue 58 : 58
- Issue 57 : 57
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 56 : 56
- Issue 55 : 55
- Issue 54 : 54
- Issue 53 : 53
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- Issue 51 : 51
- Issue 50 : 50
- Issue 49 : 49
- Issue 48 : 48
- Issue 47 : 47
- Issue 46 : 46
- Issue 45 : 45
- Issue 44 : 44
- Issue 43 : 43
- Issue 42 : 42
- Issue 5 : 05
- Issue 4 : 04
- Issue 2 : 02
- Issue 1 : 01
- Issue 41 : 41
- Issue 40 : 40
- Issue 39 : 39
- Issue 38 : 38
- Issue 37 : 37
- Issue 36 : 36
- Issue 35 : 35
- Issue 34 : 34
- Issue 33 : 33
- Issue 10 : 10
- Issue 9 : 09
- Issue 6 : 06
- Issue 3 : 03
- Issue 32 : 32
- Issue 31 : 31
- Issue 30 : 30
- Issue 29 : 29
- Issue 11 : 11
- Issue 12 : 12
- Issue 13 : 13
- Issue 14 : 14
- Issue 15 : 15
- Issue 16 : 16
- Issue 17 : 17
- Issue 18 : 18
- Issue 19 : 19
- Issue 20 : 20
- Issue 21 : 21
- Issue 22 : 22
- Issue 23 : 23
- Issue 24 : 24
- Issue 25 : 25
- Issue 8 : 08
- Issue 7 : 07
- Issue 26 : 26
- Issue 27 : 27
- Issue 28 : 28
- Issue 1 : 01