MP for South Swindon Robert Buckland, along with a number of Business’s Against Homelessness supporters, opened Threshold’s Health & Wellness Juices Shop in Swindon town centre on Thursday.
The brand new social enterprise follows on from a successful juicing project at Culvery Court, Swindon’s direct access homeless hostel in the town.
Michael Keenan, Threshold’s Business Development and Social Impact Manager, explained: “This initiative perfectly aligns with our mission of improving the life opportunities of the homeless population that we serve in Swindon. 'Health & Wellness Juices' provides a positive progression pathway for residents and volunteers to advance and further cultivate essential skill development. This project not only promotes great health benefits but fortifies the road to recovery for Swindon's Homeless.
“The project started when we began juicing each day for our residents at Culvery Court an emergency direct access homeless hostel in Swindon. A number of our residents really took this up and began to experience positive health benefits directly and it grew from there. We have seen directly that a well-nourished body and brain seems to be better able to recover from life’s traumas.
“The project aims are consistent with so many branches of Threshold’s work which are concerned with promoting physical health and wellness, supporting a basic understanding of nutrition as fundamental to good health and detox. Promoting self-care and personal and social development, as well as enabling residents to access new skills and the world of employment through right livelihood.
“It’s fantastic to be able to support such a feel great initiative. Service users are learning and having fun, experimenting with seasonal variations of fruit and vegetables as they create their delicious blends. They are actively engaged in customer service, sales, promotion and marketing in order to collect orders from businesses for their growing product line and through promoting their very own blends of freshly squeezed goodness in a bottle. We want to juice to bulk corporate order so everyone shares in the physical and financial health promotion benefits.
“Business’s Against Homelessness that have been early adopters of this project have been, The Core, The Brunel Centre, Primary Homes & Lettings, Fillerz Café and Smarter Media. Simply Local in Morden have donated fruit and vegetables twice a week.”
Robert Buckland MP said: “I am genuinely excited by projects like this and I very much hope it takes off – not just amongst the homeless community, but as a place where people from all parts of our local community can come together.
“The Government is now providing more and more funding to help tackle rough sleeping and homelessness – that’s great, but it will only translate to reality on the ground with the support of our council and businesses. That’s why initiatives like this, and Mark’s story is inspirational. It’s not easy to suddenly move away from a life of addiction. What Mark has done is fantastic and I am confident that he will achieve his goal of a paid job.”
Mark Mutlow, a volunteer, said: “You’ve got to have a taste of this. I’ve called it the ‘last taste of summer’. It’s a fresh blend of Spanish satsuma’s, apples, pineapples, sweet potato, lime and a hint of warming ginger. I really enjoy serving customers and sharing my daily juice blends with them, watching them taste test something new, we are always experimenting. Total customer happiness is the only thing that matters, and it’s been excellent already to see repeat customers as they really do like our products. Power On Mondays, is the perfect way to kick-start your working week, with delicious apples, baby spinach, cucumber, mint and lime. We have Recharge Wednesdays, which is a body cleanse and a powerful mid-week boost, which has organic beetroot, apples, lemon and warming ginger, and then our third product is Feel Fantastic Fridays, it’s a great energiser as we begin to flag at the end of the working week, and this has carrots which are king of mineral content, apple, sweet potato also packed with micro-nutrients, zesty lemon and ginger.
“I want to share this fantastic project with all of Swindon. Pop in store and enjoy a bottle of something absolutely delicious and really really good for you; jam packed to the brim with essential micro-nutrients. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and be part of this healthy revolution.
“Show your support as an individual or join us and become a corporate sponsor and a 'Business Against Homelessness'. Meet our volunteers, learn more about getting involved, how you can help. Place your workplace orders with me. Nourish yourself and feel good about supporting a great cause.
“To learn more about our tasty juice menu options and to place your orders call Mark on 07833 914 998. Pure Goodness in every bottle made fresh to order!”
Follow Health and Wellness Juices Swindon on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/Health-Wellness-Juices-Swindon-303052373812429/