As seen in InYourArea
Both public and expert judges chose Yellow Submarine’s life-changing café as the winner of High Street shop.
Yellow Submarine has been overwhelmed by the support for the nomination in the national independent awards. The votes from customers and supporters led them to be a High Street shop award finalist but never could they have imagined bringing home the top prize.
Sophie Bradley, enterprise development manager, watched the awards ceremony live from her home with her two young children and was delighted to discover Yellow Submarine had won the £10,000 prize fund after being announced as category winners.
On the live awards feed, run by Holly Tucker, founder of Not On The High Street, Sophie Bradley said: “The café team have worked so hard over the past 10 years, changing the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism as well as providing our customers with delicious coffee and home-made food.
“To receive this recognition and prize fund will have such a huge impact on our social enterprise.”The café opened in 2013 to provide a stepping stone into employment for individuals with learning disabilities and autism.
Over the years, the café has grown and they now bake their own cakes and have an online store to send them across the country.The cafés have now supported over 50 trainees through traineeships and training programmes, and graduates have gone on to achieve volunteering and paid roles within the Oxford community.
The independent awards finalists were voted for in a nationwide vote and the winners were chosen by a panel of esteemed judges who are experts in the small business field.
On Yellow Submarine winning the High Street shop award, Jo Fairley, founder of Green and Black, said: “Yellow Submarine makes me feel proud of how the world really is changing in positive ways – contrary to what newspaper headlines might lead us to feel. I truly wish I lived closer, because I’d be getting my coffee there every day.”
Yellow Submarine will be taking their win proudly into 2023 as they celebrate the café’s 10th birthday and will support more trainees with their journey to employment.
