Marco Pierre White launches a bakery to help homeless ex-Servicemen 
World-renowned chef Marco Pierre White has joined forces with Riverside-ECHG to help launch a fundraising campaign to kit out their new social enterprise bakery which will provide Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts with vital training opportunities once they leave the Armed Forces.
The bakery will be built at RECHG’s new The Beacon scheme, which neighbours Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire and which is due to come online in the autumn and will be supporting homeless ex-Servicemen and women from across the country.
The Beacon is a flagship accommodation, training and social enterprise centre run by RECHG, which helps ex-service personnel suffering with combat stress or at risk of homelessness. The bakery will provide the opportunity to start fresh lives by providing vocational training and accredited qualifications.
Riverside’s MoD Area Manager, Trevor Morris, himself an ex-serviceman, said: “When people leave the Armed Forces they often find that while they have lots of very useful team and project management skills, they need to develop trades that will find them jobs in civilian life. We consulted with a lot of veterans about what trades would interest them and active trades such as a bakery and landscaping came out very high. All our residents are thrilled that Marco has come on board to support them and they can’t wait to offer him the very first batch of Veterans Cookies to come out of their bakery!”
The Bakery will be run in partnership with the Clervaux Trust, artisan bakers and themselves a local social enterprise.
Marco Pierre White - the first celebrity chef and Godfather of modern cooking - trained such chefs as Gordon Ramsay. He was the youngest chef ever to be awarded three Michelin stars. Marco has a strong affiliation to Yorkshire, growing up on a council house in East Leeds he trained at the St George Hotel in Harrogate and The Box Tree in Ilkley, of which he is now a partner, before becoming a global success. His connections to the Armed Services are equally important to him.
Marco said: “I’ve flown to Iraq and Afghanistan to cook for the troops on Christmas Day, and it’s always a privilege. I strongly believe we all have a duty to support our soldiers and that duty of care shouldn’t stop on their return home. I once said that my kitchens are like The French Foreign Legion. In the past, I’ve done projects working with troubled youths who turn their lives around. I feel passionate about the morality and value of working hard and the stabiliser of routine to help ground people. And there’s nothing more beautiful and honest than making a decent loaf of bread or good espresso. This bakery is a way to bring people together and work for a common cause. The veterans deserve this opportunity - I know how tough it is - my visits to the frontline have been truly life-changing experiences. I have nothing but respect for the soldiers who served there and I am honoured to support a valuable project like this. So let’s break bread and salute these great people.”
Trevor Morris continued: “Marco’s support is invaluable in helping to raise awareness for those ex-service personnel who are struggling to adjust to civilian life. We really hope that donors will rise to the challenge and support this valuable project.”
Riverside-ECHG has been working with the Ministry of Defence for over 10 years providing housing support to over 7,500 single ex-Servicemen and women at risk of homelessness. Uniquely, we are the only civilian agency working ‘behind the lines’ with men and women to identify risk of homelessness prior to discharge.
For more information visit http://www.riverside.org.uk/national.aspx
|
