Breaking bread: Supporting refugees and torture survivors
Our bread making group is led by a specialised psychological therapist, who works with every member to help them make new friends and grow in confidence.
Our bread making group is led by a specialised psychological therapist, who works with members to build their confidence and make new friends. Recovery from torture isn’t just about talking to a professional; it’s about rebuilding trust, gaining confidence, and connecting with others. Trying new ideas and embracing the possibility of failure is a vital step for such a vulnerable group.
Even the physical act of making bread – working the dough and shaping it – helps relieve tension and anxiety. The group works with different ingredients, herbs, seeds or anything they want to add. Our members can share their cultural influences on recipes and ingredients, creating beautiful reminders of home. Will you help a survivor join the bread making group?
Max's story
Max fled torture in the country he called home, and arrived in London scared, isolated, missing loved ones and not even aware of what country he was in. Before the bread making group, Max feared authorities, and said he wouldn’t have even considered sharing his story with people he hadn’t met. He didn’t trust anyone anymore and was too withdrawn to even speak to anyone.
Max attended bread making group two years ago and he says it saved his life. He wanted to share his story with you to explain the impact of your donation and help other survivors.
Now he’s made some very good friends in the UK, he’s taking part in educational courses and wants to tell more people about what he’s been through. He isn’t ashamed. He has hope.
For people like Max, the bread making group is a lifeline. The group are there for each other every week, many have no one else. Without the bread making group many of these people spend their days completely alone.
A donation today could help fund a survivor’s place in a group just like the bread making group. If you could spare that gift, it will be life changing for someone like Max. You’ll give them a chance share what they have been through, get professional help and make new friends through baking bread together.