Enterprises
Bakery Down The Lane
Our Makers & Bakers meet on a Wednesday and create freshly baked sweet and savoury goods that can be purchased fresh from the oven! Every Thursday you can drop in for a cuppa and a chat with our friendly Bakery team, or order in advance for a quick pick-up. Whatever you decide, we're open from 10am - 3pm to the general public and look forward to welcoming you!
To Order from our Bakery:
1. Download the product list here
2. Email admin@southamptonmencap.co.uk with your order. Your order will be prepared on a Wednesday and will be available for pick-up from the Mencap Centre in Portswood from 3.30pm-5pm or on the following day (Thursday) from 10am-3pm. We may be able to arrange next-day delivery so if you require this please let us know. Orders should be placed no later than Monday of the week you require it for. You can order as far in advance as you need to, just let us know which Wednesday/Thursday you'd like it for and we will prepare it on the appropriate day. As our products are freshly baked with no artificial preservatives, we do recommend receiving the products no later than Thursday and consuming ASAP.
Overview:
Makers & Bakers is just one element of the Mencap Enterprise initiative started earlier this year. Since March 2022 a group of people with learning disabilities meet every Wednesday at the Mencap Centre in the heart of Portswood.
The enterprise, which also includes a gardening and maintenance arm meeting each Tuesday, was a vision to move away from the traditional ‘day service’ offer in order to enable people with learning disabilities to be engaged in real work based activities and through this gain a sense of self-worth.
Through this fast developing programme offering cooking based skills, gardening, maintenance, creative arts, and core business skills, learners are empowered through their new skills, supported and guided by professional tutors and support staff.
Makers & Bakers consists of a small group of six as the enterprise is still in its infancy. However, just like the Mencap tag-line, they are ‘small, local and strong’ and are fast proving themselves to be an asset in the community.
Each activity is tailored to specific ability and potential and all learners are supported individually to produce a delicious range of freshly baked products, including breads, scones and loaf cakes. Cakes can also be ordered fully iced and decorated for that special occasion. The latest addition of samosas, with an eastern flavour and western twist, has been hugely popular, and along with the other goods produced offers good value for money.
Our vision through the enterprise programme is to open up pathways for people with learning barriers to employability opportunities, whether it be in a voluntary or paid capacity. More importantly and at the very heart of the programme is to upskill them and help boost their confidence and self-esteem and their contribution recognised and valued in society.
Useful Links:
Become a Maker & Baker - fill out an expression of interest form
Volunteer with Makers & Bakers - fill out a volunteer application form
Mencap Gardening & Maintenance (MG&M)
Our newest Day Service turns gardening and maintenance skills into a successful enterprise in the form of MG&M! With over fifteen different venues under their belt, our hard working group of Day Service users are now able to meet most basic gardening and maintenance requirements and can travel out to different locations in Southampton.
Treat Me Well
Treat me well is a campaign led by National Mencap to transform how the NHS treats people with a learning disability when they are in hospital. The campaign launched in February 2018. At Southampton Mencap we worked with Mike Le Surf from National Mencap who helped us to set up a local Treat me well campaign group made up of members from our day services.
Since the launch of the campaign, the local group has worked with the hospitals in Southampton in a positive and productive way to influence changes so that people with learning disabilities have better treatment if they need hospital care.
They have also supported training of medical staff and other events led by the Learning Disability Health Facilitator and the Learning Disability Liaison nurses based at the General Hospital.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMV06K1oanA
Last year, the group was delighted to receive the Treat Me Well Group of the Year Award as being the group of local campaigners who have made the biggest impact to improve hospital care for people with a learning disability!most active group in the area!
https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-mencap/activist-year-awards-2019
Below, the Southampton Mencap ‘Treat me well’ campaign group
