JubyLee Bakes is a local Community Interest Company made up of a group of young adults with learning disabilities and autism, along with their support workers and families. We are one of five groups in the Meridian West ITV region in the running for a share of a life-changing pot of £3 million through the National Lottery Community Fund People’s Projects Competition. On Thursday 4th April the JubyLee Bakes team will showcase their project on Meridian West ITV after the 6 o’clock news. This short film will also be available to view on line from 1st April on The People’s Projects website.
We are asking for your vote to help us obtain lottery funding, to enable us to renovate and fit out a kitchen in Thakeham, Sussex. Just £50,000 would get the job done, providing a dedicated base for this enthusiastic band of young people. To be in with a chance of receiving this prize JubyLee Bakes are asking for your support by voting on the People’s Projects website. Voting opens at 9am on Monday 1st April, ending at 12 noon on Monday 15th April at www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk. Please look for JubyLee Bakes Kitchen under Meridian West.
The JubyLee Bakes project was conceived just over three years ago when a group of young learning-disabled adults and their parents were discussing what to do when they left college. Then they had an idea! They wanted to start a bakery. Not any bakery, their bakery (in their own words) ‘had to be the best ever’, baking the best brownies and the best flapjacks they could manage.
How though were these young people supposed to start?
Initially, supported by family and support workers, they began baking in a church hall for three hours a week. Trading standards were consulted about regulations and labelling and the first bakes were made, sampled and finally the recipes were agreed upon. Quickly three hours a week baking and packing time wasn’t enough, leading to the use of home kitchens and hiring of a school kitchen for a further 3 hours a week. All are 5star rated by the Food Standards Agency.
Brownies, flapjacks and other delicious bakes are now being sold at local offices, cafes and village markets. We also sell at major outdoor events including Horsham Garden Music Festival, Cuckfield Bonfire Night and Gatwick Airport Fun Day. Each month we hold a special bake-in at Collyer’s College baking and selling to students and staff. Bakes are donated to Crawley Open House and some proceeds from sales go towards other community causes.
Now, the young adults of JubyLee Bakes are looking for permanent premises to enable them to bake for longer hours, supplying more businesses with bakes, which will in turn raise the positive profile of disability within the community. This will also give opportunity for other learning-disabled young people and adults to join the JubyLee Bakes team.
It is recognised that over 90% of young people with a learning disability do not manage to secure long term employment. These enterprising young people don’t want to join that statistic and in fact, want to grow their business offering meaningful employment to others.
Please help these young people to continue to build their future. Special Bakes by Special People! www.jubyleebakes.org.uk and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
