You may look at something like a cake or pastry and think, how can this help change poverty? Think again. We spoke to award-winning social enterprise Luminary Bakery about how they’ve harnessed the craft of baking to help break poverty cycles for disadvantaged women.
By Erin O’Connor
Mindful living stretches far beyond meditating and monotasking. It’s not just a practice of inwardly paying attention, but also paying attention to what’s going on around us, and identifying what needs to change and acting accordingly. Fortunately, there are some incredible people and social enterprises out there who are making waves to bridge the gap, and Luminary Bakery is one of them.
On the surface they are a collection of bakeries across London however, on closer inspection they offer far more than that. They are a powerful representation of support in the community, and a pinnacle of hope for so many women, providing opportunities for women who have found themselves in social and economic hardship giving them a place to work, recover and connect.
“Out of the 66 women we supported last year, 83% saw an increase in their self-esteem and 62% saw an improvement in their mental health.”
2019 Impact Report
These are some of the amazing women that Luminary Bakery has mentored. Images Credit: Luminary Bakery Instagram
They offer skills for a lifetime
It’s all well and good giving things to people to help in the immediate term, but a far more empowering way to create long lasting change is an exchange of skills. Skills and knowledge are things that don’t have to cost the earth - in fact often they don’t need to cost a penny. Baking is a wonderful skill for anyone to learn - not only do you get incredibly delicious treats at the end, but it’s a fantastic tool to practice mindful living. Luminary Bakery offer courses and work experience within their bakeries so that these women can build a future of their own, not just a place to go 9 to 5.
It’s far more than just a job
Fighting issues such as poverty and violence needs to happen on several levels - not only do we need to help the women out of the problems through employment and job prospects, but we also need to heal the emotional damage such adversity can have. One of the biggest things is rebuilding self-esteem and confidence - things that Luminary Bakery work incredibly hard to instil in the women that come through their doors by giving them a community to connect with. Mental health is so important, and something we all need to prioritise more. When it comes to guiding women out of adversity and towards a safer, brighter future, it is even more key.
One of their graduates went on to start their own baking business centred around mental health, self-love, hope and kindness. Image Credit: Luminary Bakery Instagram
Baking is also a known skill to boost self-esteem, something that is really important when supporting women to find their way out of adverse situations. Baking takes a lot of patience, using exact measurements of ingredients and waiting for them to cook thoroughly in the oven. There’s a wonderful sense of satisfaction once your bake is ready, particularly when it tastes amazing. However, going through the process itself can help you feel methodical, organised and able to follow through with a task - skills that can be transferred into other areas of your life.
“Luminary gave me confidence, courage and a voice to speak. I hadn’t spoken for two years, but then I came to Luminary. They gave me hope where there was no hope.”
A Quote from Luminary Bakery’s book ‘Rising Hope’
Luminary Bakery have released their first cookbook. It’s filled with recipes and stories of the women who have passed through their doors, hoping to inspire people to bake and grow as individuals.
While baking itself may not be everyone’s bag, the core values of what they do is something we can all carry into our lives. So what leaf can we all take out of their (cook)book?
1. Share your craft or passion
No matter how simple or elaborate, sharing your craft with someone else can be a great catalyst of inspiration and empowerment. Whether it’s in the kitchen or not, we all have something valuable to teach others - so lean into your passions and spread it.
2. Donate to social enterprises like Luminary
If you have the means, helping enterprises like Luminary fund their students is a fantastic and hugely important way to help the meaningful work get done.
3. Be a mentor to someone who wants to follow a similar path to you
If you’re an expert in your field, why not consider mentoring someone who’s just starting out? Mentorship is a powerful skill, and one that I think is so important in this day and age.
How to support the Luminary Bakery
Luminary is an innovative response to a need we saw for women who have had a social and economic disadvantage. We are a social enterprise designed to offer opportunities for women to build a future for themselves. We provide a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically – encouraging ambition, restoration and second chances. We use baking as a tool to take women on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship, equipping them with transferable skills for the working world. We offer courses, work experience and paid employment within our bakery, empowering women to build their career.
By investing in and releasing them to realise their dreams - through training, employment and community - we aim to break cycles of poverty, violence & disadvantage once and for all.
ERIN O’CONNOR
Erin is a writer based in London. When’s she’s not attending a space rave, or attempting to make her own face scrub she is writing about anything and everything to do with wellbeing and mindfulness.
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