10/10/2026
It's World Mental Health day today, with this year's theme being "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change". So, I (Simon) thought I'd share my story, and how I got to, with others, open Stoneham Bakehouse.
Back in 2012-13, as a teacher of 15 years, I became ill with stress, depression, and anxiety. I was finding life really hard, and after periods off work, I decided to leave teaching to get myself well. WIth the aid of talking therapy and medication, I'd managed to get myself in a bit of a better place, when my doctor suggested learning a new skill. I chose to learn to bake bread, and with teaching and guidance from Robin at www.communitychef.org,uk, I found it was a massive help to my wellbeing. I could bake a decent loaf of bread, but more than that I learnt to take notice of the changes in the dough, to take pride in what I produced, to want to share this with others. And so the seeds of what would become Stoneham Bakehouse were sown.
It's this lived experience of mental health difficulties, and the effect baking had on me, which is at the heart of our emphasis on wellbeing as well as breadmaking. It's the reason we want to help others with our Baking for Wellbeing and Baking & Bereavement programmes.
