Bramber Bakehouse

Bramber Bakehouse Supporting women with the confidence, knowledge & skills for a positive future.

Bramber Bakehouse provides a baking and employability programme for women survivors of human trafficking, equipping and empowering them on their journey to restoration and recovery.

We’re hiring 💛Bramber Bakehouse is looking for a warm, organised and values-led Administrator to join our small (but mig...
20/01/2026

We’re hiring 💛

Bramber Bakehouse is looking for a warm, organised and values-led Administrator to join our small (but mighty) team.

This role is all about the behind-the-scenes magic, keeping things running smoothly so our trauma-informed programmes can keep supporting women to rebuild confidence, skills and hope.

✨ If you love:

• bringing calm to busy days
• keeping systems ticking
• supporting a team doing meaningful work

…we’d love to hear from you.

Please share or tag someone who’d be perfect, it genuinely helps.

SussexJobs EastbourneJobs SocialImpact

14/01/2026

An exciting start to 2026 💃✨

We’re over the moon to share that Bramber Bakehouse has been awarded three years of funding from - £239,933 in total 🎉

This support means we can keep showing up for women rebuilding their lives after experiences of abuse, exploitation and displacement offering safe space, training and community at the heart of it all.

A heartfelt thank you to National Lottery players. This grant wouldn’t be possible without you 💛

And to everyone in our Bramber community…thank you for being part of what makes this work feel possible every single day.

TraumaInformed CommunityCare SussexCharity

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve done it 💛Because of you, we raised roughly £8,000 through The Big Give Christmas Challe...
15/12/2025

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve done it 💛

Because of you, we raised roughly £8,000 through The Big Give Christmas Challenge, which will help women rebuild their confidence, skills and hope after experiences of abuse, exploitation or displacement.

Every gift, share and word of encouragement will help us continue creating warm, welcoming kitchen spaces, community and connection for women across Sussex.

From all of us at Bramber Bakehouse, thank you.

If you’d like to keep supporting this work into the new year, sharing this post or making a donation (link in bio) makes a real difference.

Thank you for helping us rise.

It’s the final two hours of The Big Give 2025 so the last chance to double your impact! We have currently raised £4,676,...
09/12/2025

It’s the final two hours of The Big Give 2025 so the last chance to double your impact!

We have currently raised £4,676, 56% of our target and we need your help for the final push! Please share in any way you can!! 💛

This is your last opportunity to help us reach our Big Give target and ensure more women, and all those in need of safety, care and a community to heal within, can access Bramber Bakehouse’s programmes.

Over the past week, we’ve shared powerful stories from our Portraits of Resilience series; stories of survival, creativity, courage and hope. These are the lives your generosity touches.

But for every woman we support, another is waiting.

Today we are honoured to share Afina’s story, a story of endurance, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild ...
09/12/2025

Today we are honoured to share Afina’s story, a story of endurance, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild a life from the ashes of war.

“I chose to be photographed with a white rose, because the white rose symbolises purity and tenderness, yet its thorns remind us that sometimes women must be strong to protect themselves.”

Afina is from Mariupol, part of the historic Azov Greek community. When the siege began in 2022, she spent two weeks trapped in a city without electricity, heat, water or connection to the outside world.

Escaping with only a suitcase, Afina arrived in the UK deeply shaken. “When I escaped the war, I was unable to take care of myself… everything that had shaped my life, my memories, my books, my family photographs, I had to leave behind.”

Three years on, she is slowly rebuilding her life. She loves exploring galleries, theatres and markets, and has rediscovered her lifelong passion for baking, a passion that led her to Bramber Bakehouse.

“I was not in good health… but Bramber Bakehouse was a very safe and supportive community for me. If I did not want to speak, I did not have to. I felt understood.”

Step by step, in a calm, gentle space, Afina began to open up again.

“It turned out that baking helped me much more than just attending sessions with a psychologist.” Through the course, she made friends, learned new wellbeing techniques, and found moments of joy she hadn’t felt for a long time.

Completing the programme was a turning point:
“Attending the course was like laying a foundation stone in my life… it gave me the feeling, ‘No, I’m not alone. I’m not alone.’”

Please read the full story on our website.

Donate via the link in our bio to help Bramber Bakehouse support women like Afina, women rebuilding from loss, finding community again, and rediscovering hope, one step at a time.

“In my photograph, I wanted to show myself as powerful and unique, that I have the power to change my mindset, to turn m...
08/12/2025

“In my photograph, I wanted to show myself as powerful and unique, that I have the power to change my mindset, to turn my negative energy to positive and never give up.”

Ami’s story begins in Afghanistan, where women now have no access to work, no access to education, and no freedom to go out without a man.

“I am always thinking about my students… Thousands of dreams have died. They took these dreams from my sisters, my students, every woman there.”

Ami came to the UK after completing an MBA in India and the first year of her PhD. She received refugee status last year, but the journey has not been easy.

She was referred to Bramber Bakehouse by the .project

“At first, I thought it was only about learning to cook, but it was much more. We baked, laughed and had a good time together… The wellbeing, managing stress, understanding feelings; it all helped me.”

Through baking sessions, shared meals, wellbeing support and new friendships, Ami found something she had been missing: “Bramber gave me purpose. They accepted me as a human being. They listened without judgment. I felt free there.”

She continues to study, build community, look for work in marketing and dream of a peaceful home where she can cook, plan and grow.

“I have lots of hope and dreams for my future… While I don’t have my family here, I can count on communities like Bramber Bakehouse. They lifted me up, they gave me hope and purpose.”

Read the full story on our website.

During The Big Give 2025, every donation is doubled, helping us support more women like Ami, women carrying hope, strength and dreams for a future where they can thrive.

If you’re able, please use the link in our bio to contribute.

We’re halfway there and we need your help to cross the finish line💛Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised £4,006 so far...
08/12/2025

We’re halfway there and we need your help to cross the finish line💛

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised £4,006 so far in The Big Give, that’s nearly half of our £8,352 target to support women and those in need of safety, community and a chance to rebuild their lives!

But we’re not done yet. And we only have until midday tomorrow to make it happen.

✨ Every donation is doubled
✨ Every pound goes directly to our trauma-informed programmes
✨ Every gift helps transform a woman’s future

If you’ve been thinking about donating, now is the moment.

Donate via the link in our bio and help us reach our goal before the deadline.

Let’s do this together💛🍞

Today we are honoured to share Perséfone’s story,  a story of identity, resilience and the brave pursuit of a life where...
06/12/2025

Today we are honoured to share Perséfone’s story,  a story of identity, resilience and the brave pursuit of a life where she can finally be herself.
“My name is Perséfone, the goddess of spring in Greek mythology, that’s why I chose to be photographed with a green flower. It feels special and unique, just like the person I’m becoming.” Creative, expressive and full of artistic spirit, Perséfone once worked as an actress, dancer and theatre teacher. But in Brazil, she faced constant judgement and aggression for being herself. 

“I was lost. I couldn’t go back. I lived on the streets. I danced or sang for change… I drew Christmas cards to sell. I was just trying to survive.”
Eventually, a charity moved her to a safe house, where she began recovering from severe depression and C-PTSD. It was here that she started her transition, the first time she could buy the clothes she loved simply because she loved them.

And it was here she found Bramber Bakehouse.

“When I first went into the community kitchen, it was amazing. I felt like I was in a good home.” The big welcoming kitchen, shared meals, the sweetness of the apple buns, small moments that helped her breathe again.

“I had only been off the streets for two months… I had lots of panic attacks and flashbacks.” Through wellbeing exercises, grounding techniques and gentle support, she learned ways to soothe her anxiety and reconnect with the present. “When I was at Bramber, I often forgot about the bad things outside. I felt safe and protected. At some point I thought, now I can breathe… I can be in the moment with other people.”

Finishing the course was deeply emotional.
“The week after it ended, I cried because I missed it. It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

Baking became her way of connecting with others, bringing cakes to friends, volunteers, English classes and her temple. One small act at a time, she built community again. 
“I still face harassment… but I’m trying to focus and find a way to get through. When I pay attention to hope, I think everything will be fine.”
Her dreams are simple and full of light: to keep studying, to live safely, and one day, to find love.

Today, we’re honoured to share Lynn’s story, a powerful reflection of love, survival and the strength it takes to start ...
05/12/2025

Today, we’re honoured to share Lynn’s story, a powerful reflection of love, survival and the strength it takes to start again.

For 16 years, Lynn cared for her mum full-time as dementia progressed. And before that, she survived nearly three decades in an abusive relationship, “a lot of lying, mental control and manipulation,” she says.

When her mum passed away, Lynn felt lost. “My purpose had been looking after her. I was in a right state.”

Her social prescriber encouraged her to join Bramber’s baking programme, and although she arrived nervous and unsure, everything changed in that first session.

“I told the taxi driver, ‘I really don’t want to do this.’ But after that first class I came out grinning, ‘That was brilliant. I bloody loved it.”

In the kitchen, she found kindness, acceptance and a place where she could simply be herself. She baked brownies that won “best in class,” brought her humour to the group, and formed unexpected friendships with women from across the world.

“That tolerance and acceptance had a big impact on me. I felt proud I was bringing a bit of happiness into their life.”

Through baking, breathwork and connection, Lynn’s confidence began to return.

“It lifted my spirits and gave me a purpose… It made me feel good.”

Lynn now has a befriender, new routines and gentle hopes for the years ahead, including the dream of one day moving to Australia to be near her brother.

For her portrait, Lynn chose a yellow rose, a living reminder of her mum. “It’s as old as the hills but it keeps blossoming. She loved that.”

Read the full story on our website.

Donate via the link in our bio to help Bramber Bakehouse support others who, like Lynn, deserve a space to heal, belong and rediscover their confidence.

Today, we’re honoured to share Maz’s story, a testament to courage, recovery and the quiet strength it takes to begin ag...
04/12/2025

Today, we’re honoured to share Maz’s story, a testament to courage, recovery and the quiet strength it takes to begin again.

Maz loves spending time with her daughters and granddaughters, gardening, and exploring new places. “I’ve got a little bungalow now with a small border outside my front window… That’s my project.”

But the past year has brought profound challenges. Maz left a controlling and coercive relationship after years of “walking on eggshells” and “pushing all my emotions down.”

When her social prescriber encouraged her to join Bramber Bakehouse, Maz took a chance and found something life-changing.

“My God, I was so pleased I did.”
In the kitchen, she found community, safety and understanding.
“That was the best therapy I could ever have… They made me feel I wasn’t alone.”

Little by little, through breathing techniques, connection and learning new skills, she began rebuilding herself from the inside out.
“Eventually, with encouragement, I realised it wasn’t my fault.”

Today, Maz is embracing life again, volunteering, joining classes, planning a holiday, and continuing to rediscover her confidence.
“Bramber helped me find myself again… It gave me confidence and something to be proud of.”

Donate via the link in our bio so Bramber Bakehouse can help others like Maz who are seeking safety, connection and the space to rebuild their lives.

Maz’s full story is now available on our website.

Today we’re honoured to share Wumi’s powerful journey, a story of survival, courage and the transformative impact of com...
03/12/2025

Today we’re honoured to share Wumi’s powerful journey, a story of survival, courage and the transformative impact of community.

“When I first went to Bramber Bakehouse, I was at a place in my life where all my confidence had gone. I couldn’t do anything. I had given up and felt I had no future… If I was to summarise how I was feeling in one word, it would be drained.”

At Bramber, something shifted, she began to feel a part of a community.

“I was in a vulnerable place, thinking that I couldn’t do anything good. Then within an hour or two, I would have created this baking masterpiece… The environment Bramber created was so friendly…a safe, positive space and a sense of belonging.”

“The Bramber Bakehouse graduation was a turning point…it helped me to get back to myself and believe I could do anything.”

Today, Wumi is a psychology graduate, an entrepreneur, a CEO, a charity board member and a lived-experience consultant raising awareness and advocating for survivors.

Wumi’s full story is available to read on our website as part of our Portraits of Resilience series.

Stories like Wumi’s show what’s possible when women are given safety, community and the chance to rebuild.

During The Big Give 2025, your donation is doubled, helping us support more women who are in the place Wumi once was.

If you’re able, please use the link in our bio to contribute.

Did you know we now accept bakery orders? Team days never looked so good 🫶
13/08/2025

Did you know we now accept bakery orders? Team days never looked so good 🫶

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