Social enterprise coffee shop for passionate baker

The 28-year-old, of Cross Lane, Findon, has combined her two loves to launch Baked; Cake with a Cause in Rowlands Road.

She will provide employment and training opportunities for young people aged 18-24 by working closely with The Worthing Foyer, Worthing Jobcentre Plus and local youth services.

Baked will provide training, skills development and mentoring through full and part-time positions, work trials or experience and apprenticeships.

Miss Roffey moved home to Findon last year after achieving a PHD in environmental social science.

She said: “From my research career I had gained a strong understanding of, and opinion on, the social, environmental and economic challenges faced by society and the capacity that the power business has to address them.

“The social enterprise model, where a business is driven by creating a positive social impact, massively appealed to me as it facilitates this. Drawing together my experience, my desire to make a tangible positive impact by engaging with people and my love of baking, the cake café was born.

“My friends had been telling me for years to start up my own cake-making business but I never thought it was a feasible option.

“This is not about trying to make loads of money, it is about making a small change.”

Miss Roffey will put together an employment development programme tailored to each staff member.

She also hopes to open in the evenings, run workshops and events and offer a meeting space for groups.

“This will be a massive revenue stream and will be really important,” she said. “The more money we make, the more goes back into doing good things.”

A planning application is currently pending.