Nourishing our Community in Different Ways
A weekend or two ago, we had a stall at The Hive’s Christmas Market. Like our stalls at the Farmers’ Market, we had a great selection of bread on offer; bread made by our volunteer workforce. One difference to stalls in the past was the fact that we had some new, young, volunteers to help sell our wares. Along with their support officer from Brighton & Hove YOS, two young people were working as part of a reparative project. As a community business and social enterprose, this kind of project very much fits our ethos. Through giving these people a chance to interact with the community in a positive way, we’re helping to promote integration. 
As the Bakehouse develops we want to involve more people like this. We should be nourishing our community; not just through the bread you buy, with the processes involved in its production and sale.
Anxious and On Air
On Monday last week, I was interviewed by the guys at People’s Republic of Brighton & Hove Radio. Their radio station has been set up to share, and make people aware of, the plethora of amazing community events and organisations across our city. It’s always great to get our message on air; the message of baking bread with members of your community being good for our own and the community’s wellbeing. Whether you’re anxious, lonely, or just a bit low, bread can help.
You can listen to the interview here (around about the 44 minute point); I’m told I sounded enthusiastic and confident, and I hope I manage to convey the fact that Stoneham Bakehouse is different from a standard bakery. Yes, we bake good Real Bread, but we do so in order to support the wellbeing of the bakers and the community. What was unsaid in the interview, or at least only eluded to, was my anxiety on the day. It’s amazing how you can act calm and relaxed (or at least a reasonable impression of it); yet just before, inside, you’re worried and doubting your abilities to do the job. I’ve had to do a growing amount of this kind of interview recently, but I still get anxious about it. It’s silly as I know the story, it’s my story, but I nonetheless get worried and doubt that I’ll be able to say sensible things. I’ve managed to get better at it, and acting confident helps. As they say “fake it til you make it“. However, the funny feeling in the tummy, the racing heart, is still evident on occasions. Luckily, baking bread can help me to reset the system, to redress the balance; the calming nature of working with the dough allowing me to return to a normal state.
[mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/PRBH_Radio/prbh-radio-show-3rd-october-2016/ width=100% height=60 hide_cover=1 mini=1 hide_artwork=1]
Why Community Connections Are So Important
Stoneham Bakehouse is a Community Supported Bakery, a social enterprise, a Community Interest Company. The whole idea was started by me, Simon, to (in part) help me improve my mental health. But, it’s about so much more than that now. It’s the community’s bakery, it’s helping to support the community’s wellbeing by giving the chance for people to make connections.
One of NEF’s five ways to wellbeing is connect. There’s a lot to be said for having connections with people. When I was feeling at my lowest, being on the school run was a place I feared, because I may have to speak to someone. But, as I made small connections over the days and weeks, that very thing helped me to feel better.
We’re excited to start the next cohort of children on the PlayDough programme this week. Over the last year or so we’ve provided a chance for over 40 children at the local Junior school to make connections and benefit from the therapeutic nature of working with dough. Children, who may find making friends or working with others tricky, have been brought together to bake bread. 
Being able to make connections with others, to know other people like what you do, is really important to ones self-esteem. If you feel appreciated by others its easier to appreciate yourself.
So, I’d like to say thank you to all those people who do great things in our community. The refuse men who empty the park bins, the guy who helps kids cross the road to school each day, the teachers and TAs at the local schools, Caroline and the team who run Hove Luncheon Club, the Friends groups in our parks, the countless other people who offer something to the community. It’s connections with the folk around us that makes us a community, and in connecting we’re helping the community’s wellbeing too.
Autumn Workshops
We’ve got an exciting range of breadmaking workshops on offer this Autumn. Whether it’s learning the basics of bread in our Everyday Bread workshop, discovering how to make bagels or festive breads, or tackling sourdough, we’ve got it covered. Visit our workshops page for more information.
No Farmers’ Market, But Baking on Friday
Unfortunately, due to the predicted weather on Saturday, the Farmers’ Market in Stoneham Park has been cancelled. We don’t want to leave you with nowhere to get bread this weekend, so we’ll be doing a special Friday bake on the 19th August. Get your orders in before lunchtime tomorrow (Thursday), then collect from The Hive between 2-3pm.
