Bonding over branded cupcakes

I am extremely proud of the amazing organisation I work for and the team I work with. I’d like to think that it is a universal desire that organisations like The Haven would no longer need to exist because that would mean violence against women and girls has been eradicated to some degree if not completely. However it hasn’t and so here we are, delivering award-winning services! Congratulations to all especially the frontline team who remained steadfast and innovative in dealing with the challenges that the pandemic threw our way. 

When I found out that we would need to make a film about our services for the GSK Impact Awards in partnership with The Kings Fund, and that we would need to film in one of our refuge accommodations, I decided to make cupcakes to celebrate with the women in the refuge we were filming in, to thank them for their time and for being patient with us as we used their space. It definitely couldn’t be just any old store-bought cupcakes! They had to be specially made by yours truly, with matching Haven branding. Because I am extra like that. If you know, then you know!

Between my little helper – who is also featured in the film (behind the scenes images above) as a child actor to protect the identities of the actual children in our refuges – and myself, it was an enjoyable bonding experience. It gave us an opportunity to have age-appropriate discussions about boundaries, unhealthy relationships, and how and why some children end up in emergency accommodations.

We started with brainstorming design ideas in Canva with “sketches” like this: 

And then they ended up boxed and ready to be delivered for scrumptious consumption like this: 

They went down a treat with the women, children, and staff. Looking forward to doing more of these and if I had the time I’d organise cupcake therapy classes because the process of making these was so much more fulfilling than the desire for a perfect end result. Watch this space. Maybe I will find the time.

How did we do? What should be our next cupcake challenge?