For our fabulous Services Coordinator, Wayne Twitchell, working at Big Breakfast Plus is a real family affair.
Because not only do we have Wayne, who runs the operation, his partner Becky Middleton is one of our fantastic cooks and her son Dylan, 18, is a volunteer.
And while we benefit from the hard work that Wayne does for us, he’s the first to admit that Big Breakfast Plus has been an important milestone in his life.
Wayne hails from Cricklade and, as he says, he “accidentally left school without any qualifications”. By his own admission, he misbehaved (“I was naughty every day”) and couldn’t wait for his 16th birthday in 2000 when he could leave school forever.
During his last two years of school, was on a placement at The Peartree, Purton, where he thrived and achieved his Level 1 and 2 catering qualifications. He went in every day, 9am to 5pm, and it gave him a purpose. But with the end of school, the placement ended too. Wayne left home at 16 – the day after he left school – and got a job working in a warehouse, renting a room with a friend.
Although he was working – and anyone who meets Wayne, knows he goes at 100-miles-an-hour – he turned to drugs, and he was drinking.
Fast-forward to 2021, Wayne was on remand for an assault. When he came out, he went straight to see the mental health team in Swindon, because he knew he needed help. As he said, “remand scared the hell out of me, and I wasn’t going back there”.
Wayne was diagnosed as bipolar, with ADHD, and began taking medication, which has helped to turn his life around; that, and the support he gets from Becky.
“I needed to be busy, so I Googled for volunteering opportunities in Swindon. The first thing that popped up was Big Breakfast Plus, and as it was food-related, which I loved being involved with at The Peartree, I joined.
“I came as a volunteer but was always interested in what was happening in the kitchen, then started doing a bit of cooking. When a job came up, I wasn’t going to apply because of my history, but I was encouraged to do so by Ben Madden.
“So, credit to everyone around me involved in BBP, volunteers, cooks, and the Trustees who have all helped me immensely. Even to this day, I still do not see what they all see, but most importantly, it has given me purpose and meaning, and great values to lead my personal life.
“Becky and Dylan are my rock. They have witnessed me change the most. Working with Becky and Dylan has been one of my proudest moments, it’s a real privilege.
“Sometimes I feel like I have the world at my feet and so many helping me, it’s truly heart-warming.”
Wayne is now our Services Coordinator and runs the operation like clockwork, overseeing the kitchen, the food ordering, the volunteers’ rota, and he reports to our trustees. He has encyclopedic knowledge of all the costs, knowing exactly how much each rasher of bacon and each egg costs, and where to source the most cost-effective ingredients, without compromising on quality.
“When I became Services Coordinator, it was a steep learning curve. I had never used a laptop, but I picked it up OK, because I love numbers.”
Wayne is now studying for a Level 3 Business Diploma, for which he is sponsored by Zurich Community Trust. Although he is contracted to do a set number of hours, he invariably exceeds them, coming in most days to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Wayne and the team are especially proud, as they were recently awarded the highest hygiene rating, Level 5.
From his first day in 2021 when 29 breakfasts were served, Wayne and the team are now turning out 80 breakfasts on average. Their biggest ever serving so far has been 131 breakfasts.
“There’s such a buzz and an atmosphere. It’s not about the food it’s about the community. We don’t judge, we’re here to provide food and community for people.”
The volunteers love working with Wayne – he’s a great ‘boss’.
Sasha, who has been volunteering for a year, said: “What an inspiration Wayne is! No matter who you are, what you do, or what your past is, Wayne always encourages and includes. He continually tries to improve and better everyone’s day and makes all shifts fun, and more importantly safe.”
And one of our longer-serving volunteers, Jim, added: “It’s been my pleasure working with and observing Wayne’s progress as the manager at Big Breakfast Plus. “The cafe has expanded at a fast pace and Wayne has played a big part by building volunteer teams and making it welcoming place for our guests. During the shift he is aware of what is happening in all areas and is quick to offer support. Under Wayne’s guidance we now rotate our roles weekly, which allows team members to experience new things and pick up new skills. I’ve witnessed the benefits of this especially with the young adults. Wayne has a special skill in supporting and calming down vulnerable guests at times in challenging circumstances and giving us the confidence of volunteering in a safe working environment.”
If you would like to support the work that Wayne, the team, and all the volunteers do at Big Breakfast Plus, then why not donate, either a ‘one-off’ or regularly? Make your donation here.