Rosie Ginday’s sweet idea for community benefit
Rosie Ginday, aka Miss Macaroon, set up a social enterprise to mix her love of baking with her ambition to help marginalised young adults in Birmingham.
Social enterprises are mainly smaller, local businesses that provide something to increase social good and wellbeing within the community. All profits made are usually put back into the business instead of shareholders’ pockets.
After training to become a pastry chef at University College Birmingham and Purnell’s, a Michelin-starred restaurant, Rosie started Miss Macaroon Community Interest Company. The forward-thinking social enterprise aims to make the catering industry more accessible to all types of young people in the city.
When asked about how it all began, Rosie says: “My big break came when I entered and won Business in the Community Dragon’s Den competition, which unlocked a prize fund that involved support from lots of big companies in the UK.”
Not only has Miss Macaroon created beautiful wedding macaroon towers, birthday gifts and gained a few awards along the way, Rosie has used her profits to set up a training programme and work placements called “Macaroons that make a difference”. These placements aim to encourage young care leavers and ex-offenders to overcome unemployment. The course works by teaching students baking skills, as well as giving them the opportunity to make delicious macaroons, meringues and bread!
Vulnerable young people can choose from a day taster session to a six-week training course. The programme focusses on personal and social development skills, so that individuals are better prepared for employment outside the scheme.
Buy some macaroons!
To find out more about Rosie’s marvellous macaroons head to: missmacaroon.co.uk
BOB IS BACK!
This week’s Big Issue cover star is one and only Street Cat Bob. James Bowen writes exclusively about their first appearances in Europe – the cover shows Bob at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin – latest plans for their Cat Café and their movie that’s about to start filming with Luke Treadaway playing James. Find out who’s playing Bob!
Available from Monday September 21 on the streets and from: shop.BigIssue.com in the afternoon of the same day, for anyone who can’t find a copy and for overseas orders too!
Fairphone Update
Featured in issue 5 they have pre-sold 11,618 Fairphone2s, just 3,382 short of their target – to read our article about Fairphone click here, to pre-order your Fairphone2 visit: Fairphone.com
