A truly outstanding morning from the Saturday team — 133 breakfasts served, a record-breaking effort!
Huge credit to the kitchen staff, who worked tirelessly despite feeling under the weather.
An incredible team effort all round — absolute legends. Laura Saturday's Team Leader
Easy and painless way to support us...we've just raised our first £500 way to go - through Give as you Live www.giveasyoulive.com/charity/big-...
How do you find time to give back when time is short?
Meet Meena, who has a busy finance role. For her, the ‘how’ was simple: a monthly online food shop for Big Breakfast Plus.
We are so grateful for supporters like Meena. Check out the full story on our blog: buff.ly/L63yESn
A massive thank you to Lily, Sarah and Roger who delivered easter eggs from BMW on Thursday - the Easter Bunny was very grateful they didn't have to carry them all in this morning!
On Saturday, Janice Bardwell of Bassett Simply Safety delivered Lvl 2 Food Hygiene training to some of our newer team members, alongside staff and volunteers from Swindon Food Collective, Alternative angels, FoodCycle Swindon, Swindon Hub and The Harbour Project. A busy Saturday well spent.
There's still time to nominate Big Breakfast Plus for Movement For Good's £1000 charity draws. It takes less than two minutes and is a great way to support us without spending a penny.
buff.ly/afH1UrO
We welcome everyone at Big Breakfast Plus, including the Mayor of Swindon who got up early this morning to pay us a visit. It was a great opportunity for volunteers and staff to share more about what we do, and for guests to speak about their experiences.
We were delighted to retain our 5 star food hygiene rating following our recent unannounced inspection. Congratulations to Becky, Clair and the team for keeping our kitchen running smoothly and safely.
A huge thank you to Emma, Matt and Rhys from Overbury for rolling up their sleeves recently with the Wednesday team. It's inspiring to see more organisations including corporate volunteering in their strategies and supporting their staff to get involved with local groups and charities.
We were delighted to be invited back to run the raffle at 41 Degrees Big Band's Wanborough concert this weekend and raised £677! Huge thanks to 41 Degrees for being *instrumental* in helping use raise this money.
We highly recommend the band for your events buff.ly/9IswwNs
Applications close today!
We are currently recruiting for a relief cook to cover annual leave and sickness. If you've been meaning to apply then get in before the end of the day.
Applications close soon.
We are currently recruiting for a relief cook to cover annual leave and sickness. If you've been meaning to apply then get in before the end of Sunday.
Anyone for bacon? Here's ours waiting to go in the oven this morning. This will usually get us through a shift but busier days can see another tray in the oven part way through breakfast service.
Having to ask for help can be a real barrier, especially for those experiencing food poverty for the first time. The app developed and trialled as part of this initiative would be a valuable tool for navigating local food services.
Also, what an amazing programme!
Looking for a part-time role that fits around your life? Want to work with an amazing team providing free breakfasts to adults in Swindon? We are recruiting for a relief cook to provide cover for annual leave and sickness.
Looking for a part-time role that fits around your life? Want to work with an amazing team providing free breakfasts to adults in Swindon? We are recruiting for a relief cook to provide cover for annual leave and sickness.
This weekend we were delighted to present two of our volunteers, Rhian and Sharon, with Hidden Heroes Awards through Room to Reward— a truly special recognition that celebrates the outstanding contribution of volunteers who go above and beyond to make a difference.
Have you met Phil? He’s one of our amazing supporters. Phil was a former charity manager going through a tough time and now uses his contacts with other local charities to source essential items we need. Coats, warm socks and winter gloves
Would you like to join the Big Breakfast team?
We are recruiting for a floater cook to cover annual leave and sickness. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for part time work, especially to fit around other commitments. Full details on site. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Would you like to join the Big Breakfast team?
We are recruiting for a floater cook to cover annual leave and sickness. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for part time work, especially to fit around other commitments. Full details on our site. Please reach out with any questions.
Meet Phil. He first visited Big Breakfast Plus for a meal and a chat during a tough time. Today, he’s one of our amazing supporters. Phil uses his links with other local charities to source essential items we need - from warm coats and men’s shoes to women’s sanitary products
Thank you to Fionna Hewitt-Twamley for bringing Myra's Story back to Swindon, and a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated last night. We raised an astounding £1784.53 in cash and card donations, and we are also seeing more come in through our Local Giving Page.
buff.ly/t4aMBfT
86 breakfasts served this morning, and we received a lovely donation of baked goods to give out to our guests. We try and make our breakfast offering as healthy as possible but we all need the occasional treat, so gifts like these are always well received.
Karma pictured with her Sunday team
Karma at the door as she leaves for last time pointing to the exit sign
Bittersweet news. Karma steps down from volunteering today with this update: “102 perfect breakfasts out of the hatch , it felt like many many more !
Thanks guys for being a dream team on my last shift.
You are just the best x”
81 breakfasts served this morning by our Thursday volunteers. Many of our volunteers come in on set days meaning that each daily shift has it's own dynamic and approach. What they all share is the impressive ability to come together as a team and deliver a seamless breakfast service.
There are still tickets available for the amazing Myra's Story at The Wyvern Theatre this Sunday evening. The below video was recorded when the show visited Swindon last year and gives an idea of just how great this play is.
For Tickets:
You won't see friendly faces and a good chat on the menu at most cafés but it's a huge part of what makes our café special. Serving 62 breakfasts this morning might seem a wild swing from the 125 breakfasts we served last Tuesday but our quieter days leave more time for for important conversations.
Group of 8 volunteers waiting to start service with Karma taking the picture
Imagine 94 freshly cooked breakfasts served by the super Sunday sorters led by Team Leader Karma #happydays #amazingvolunteers #communitymatters
We welcomed Thalia to breakfast service on Monday. Thalia is studying Journalism with the University of Portsmouth and has written a feature article on Big Breakfast Plus as part of her course. Thalia recorded an interview with our Charity Manager and also spent time speaking to Derek.
