Bakery's decade of 'empowering' vulnerable women

The chief executive of a community bakery celebrating its 10th anniversary says the business is "empowering" its staff and transforming lives.

The Good Loaf in Northampton, which opened in 2015, is run by Suzy van Rooyen and provides job opportunities to vulnerable women and those involved in the criminal justice system.

Some of its products are made by professional bakers, with sales reaching across Northamptonshire.

Ms Van Rooyen said: "The ladies come to us [initially] really shy... but then they start becoming part of the solution. They start helping new ladies, and that's really powerful and empowering."

One of the bakery's cafe assistants, Louisa from Northampton, joined in February 2024 after receiving a conditional caution from the police following a mental health crisis.

Struggling with anxiety, depression, and the breakdown of a long-term relationship, she said she was also unable to see her two children.

"The Good Loaf has changed my life completely. If I hadn't have found the Good Loaf... I couldn't say for certain if I would be here alive," she said.

A year later, Louisa's personal life has improved dramatically.

"I think I'm 10 times the woman I was last year. Even since December, I've come on leaps and bounds because Suzy has seen me achieving goals and set higher ones. We're always tested, always pushed," she said.

She has now reconnected with her children and her father, who she said had recently told her he was proud of her for the first time.

"When I first came here, I had given up. I'd been stopped from seeing my kids for 11 months and thought 'What is the point?'," she said.

"I just wanted to be here for six weeks and leave. But now, I feel like I have a life, and me and the boys are thriving."

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