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LIFE
CHANGING
OPPORTUNITIES

READ OUR 2024 IMPACT REPORT

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CAFES

Oxford | Witney

Yellow Submarine Cafes are the perfect place to grab lunch, coffee, and our exclusive Life Changing Bakes. They are also the platform for our trainees to gain real life work experience in a safe, fast-paced environment.

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CATERING

Not only are our lunch platters delicious and delivered directly to your office or event, when you order from us you are helping to provide vital work experience and training opportunities for our members.

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TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES

Yellow Submarine is a well established training provider in Oxfordshire. We offer ambitious, dynamic training through real- life work experience, in a safe, supportive environment.

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WINNER - Yellow Submarine

"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!"

HIGH STREET SHOP OF THE YEAR

Jo Fairley, Founder of Green & Black's

LIFE CHANGING BAKES

At Yellow Submarine we believe people with Learning Disabilities and Autism deserve to live life to the full. By supporting our social enterprise you are enabling us to provide Life Changing opportunities.

All of our bakes are carefully handmade by our team of trainee bakers. Not only are they delicious, 100% of profits go to charity.

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AS SEEN ON INSTAGRAM @ysubcharity

Our young people’s activity team are gearing up for a fun filled summer, supporting over 75 young people across 28 varied activities from trips to theme parks, bowling, water sports, archery, wildlife parks, cooking, crafts, sports, gaming, boat trips and everything in between! There's something for everyone to enjoy!

#WeCan

A sneak peak at the model railway our Monday Reach group are making! They have been working really hard on this project and we can't wait to see the finished result!

#WeCan

💃Our Young People’s Summer Disco on Thursday night was a huge hit - games, dancing and a lot of whipped cream…! Shout out to our fabulous volunteers for all their help - what a great way to see off the year.

We had a great time at Witney Carnival today! 💛

A BIG thank you to all of our members & supporters that joined us for the parade and helped out on our stall, to all the lovely people who donated a tombola prize, and to everyone that came over to say hello!

It’s Witney Carnival Day! 🎉

We’re all set to join the parade and have a blast at our stall! Come down to The Leys, Witney to join the fun and show your support!

#WeCan

Looking for something to do next weekend? The Oxford Natural History Museum & Pitt Rivers Museum are giving families with members on the Autism spectrum a chance to visit when it’s less busy.
⏰9am-10am, Saturday 19th July
Email education@oum.ox.ac.uk to book.

Our Thursday Reach Club had heaps of fun trying out different sports and activities at the ‘Have a Go Festival’ last week 💪 Thank you @oxford_healthnhs for putting on such a brilliant event!

Meet Jess, our former trainee who is now celebrating 1 year with Sodexo! One of the core strengths of our Traineeship is supporting our graduates into sustainable careers. We work closely with each individual to understand their strengths and areas for growth, while also collaborating with employers to create the right adjustments for success. For Jess, a good work-life balance has been key. Alongside her job, she makes time to unwind with us at Wednesday Night Club and our activity days, where she not only hangs out with old friends but also makes new ones!

Here’s to many more milestones, Jess!

#WeCan

Thank you to Kate, David and Jess at the wonderful @fatsquirreloutdoor for organising and delivering 4 brilliant outdoor sessions for 16 of our young people over in Witney. From axe throwing, to archery, to lighting our own camp fires, making fajita pizzas, building our own bug houses and exploring the great outdoors – the sessions have been fantastic!

#WeCan #ThankYouThursday #ThankYou

Our trainees had a great time yesterday exploring Blenheim for their Summer celebration 😎 We're so proud of everyone for all their hard work this year and a special thank you to @blenheimpalace for hosting us!

Witney Carnival is this weekend! We would love for lots of our lovely members to join us in the parade with our Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat theme! Wear your brightest T-shirt and meet us at The Leys at 10:30am.

We’re also collecting tombola prizes for our stall—bottles, chocolates, toiletries, small gifts—drop them off at our Witney café before Friday! Every donation supports Yellow Submarine.

#WeCan

We couldn’t let #WorldChocolateDay pass without mentioning our Life Changing Bakes! Whether you’re craving one of our delicious chocolate brownies, yummy chocolate chip cookies, or crunchy tiffin's, we’ve got the perfect treat for every chocolate lover.

Shop our chocolate delights here or drop by one of our cafés to satisfy your sweet tooth: https://lght.ly/77anihc

#WeCan #LifeChangingBakes

Our Woodstock Open Air Pool pop-up café is officially opening from Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 31st August! Join us Tuesdays to Sundays for refreshing drinks, tasty snacks, and of course, our Life Changing Bakes! We can’t wait to serve you!

#WeCan

Witney Carnival is just one week away and we would love more of our members to join us in the parade! Our theme this year is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, so come dressed in your brightest T-shirt and meet us on The Leys at 10:30am. Let’s make it colourful! 🌈

Parents and carers are more than welcome to walk with us too — it’s going to be a fun, inclusive day for everyone!

#WeCan

This term, we’ve been busy supporting 40 amazing young people across our youth clubs, called Sub Squad! In Oxford, the group have been busy with scavenger hunts, Sixes cricket, pizza-making, park visits, and of course, plenty of ice cream! In Didcot, the club enjoyed arts & crafts in the park, a private screening of Lilo & Stitch, a sports day challenge, and a takeaway treat! Meanwhile, in Witney, the fantastic @fatsquirreloutdoor team led outdoor adventures like axe throwing, archery, campfire cooking, and woodland crafts! It’s been an action-packed term of fun and memories!

#WeCan

A huge thank you to Mike Rowley, former Lord Mayor of Oxford, for choosing Yellow Submarine as one of his three charities alongside @seesawoxford and @lovebartoncharity during his mayoral year. Thanks to his fundraising, we’ve received a £2,434 donation! This will help us continue creating amazing opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism across Oxfordshire.

Thank you, Mike, for your support and belief in our mission!

#WeCan #ThankYouThursday

We're looking for prizes for our Witney Carnival tombola—bottles, chocolates, toiletries, small gifts, and more are all welcome! If you have anything you'd like to donate, please drop it off in the box in our Witney cafe. Every item helps, and all proceeds go to Yellow Submarine. Thank you!

#WeCan

Meet our Team 💛

Keely has been a part of the Yellow Submarine team for many years, firstly as a volunteer then sessional staff before stepping into her current role as Adults Activity Manager. Keely is responsible for planning and delivering our social activities for adults during the Easter and Summer holidays, as well as organising monthly ad hoc events. She also helps out with our adult social clubs, Reach sessions and residential holidays. What Keely loves most about her role is spending time with our members and how enthusiastic, friendly and determined they are as well as their ability to brighten anyone's day! Outside of Yellow Submarine, Keely is passionate about hockey, hanging out with friends, and exploring new places—whether it’s around the UK or further afield!

#WeCan #MeetOurTeam #BehindTheScenes

Last week our trainees gave presentations about their hobbies to their fellow trainees! We were blown away by their enthusiasm and array of interests!

#WeCan

Last week a group of our adult members had a wonderful holiday in France! Of course a trip to Disneyland was a must!

#WeCan

What a wonderful turn out to our Witney Parkrun Takeover last week. Our lovely member Gareth was busy at the event capturing people with our submarine!

#WeCan

Join our friendly team!

We have the opportunity for a café assistant to join our lovely team. Helping with the day-to-day running of the café, working within the staff team and supporting our trainees. If you want the opportunity to join a small, supportive team, where you’ll get to see the impact of the charity’s work first-hand, this is the job for you!

To find out more, visit our website!

#WeCan #JobOpportunity #WitneyJobs

Our Thursday Reach group have been working hard this term making plant pots as part of their enterprise project. You can find them selling their creations at the Woolgate Centre in Witney (under the Clock Tower) this Thursday from 11am to 2pm. We’d love to see you there!

#WeCan

Meet our Team 💛

Lauren is our fantastic Oxford Café Manager. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the café, ensuring everything runs smoothly while also providing life-changing training for our trainees. She loves her role as it's so diverse, giving her the opportunity to work with many amazing individuals and challenge public perceptions of disabilities. She's passionate about seeing our trainees grow in confidence and independence, and proud to be part of a team that supports them every step of the way. When Lauren’s not busy at Yellow Submarine, you can find her with a good book or baking something delicious!

#WeCan #MeetOurTeam

Do you see us… We Can challenge perceptions 💛

Over 70,000 customers visit our cafés each year because of the quality of the coffee & food. It just ‘so happens’ that they may leave with a different perception of ‘disability’ too! Our social enterprise cafés are co-staffed by trainees with learning disabilities, gaining real life skills and confidence.

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe

Can you see me? We Can provide training so you do! 💛

Last week Rachael and Becs delivered Learning Disability Awareness training at the Modern Art Oxford. The session helped to raise awareness and build confidence in their staff and volunteers when working with colleagues and customers that need additional support. All of our training sessions are interactive and customisable to the organisation, and aim to help employers to identify the reasonable adjustments their staff can put in place.

“Rachael and Becs from Yellow Submarine delivered an amazing training session for staff and volunteers at Modern Art Oxford. Their interactive style got everyone talking and participating. We all left feeling confident about how to be a more accessible, inclusive, and understanding team!” Sif, Modern Art Oxford

DM us to find out more!

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #Inclusion #Training

Do you see us… We Can go on holiday! 💛

Lucy recently went to Blackpool on holiday, she shares that she loves going on holiday with her friends! Our holidays are often our members first sustained time away from home and are a great opportunity to build independence and confidence.

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe

Yesterday, we were thrilled to welcome Charlie from @hookdigi to our new bakery! He captured a special video showcasing our mission and the purpose behind this incredible space.

Our bakery is more than just a place for making delicious treats, it’s a space designed to empower and create meaningful opportunities for trainees with learning disabilities and autism. With every cake baked, we're opening doors for our trainees to thrive and build valuable skills for the future.

A huge thank you to Charlie for helping us share this important journey and Opendoorz Ltd for helping us connect!

#WeCan #LifeChangingBakery #SocialEnterprise

Do you see me? We can advocate for our peers! 💛

Meet Gareth, our current Chair of Periscope which is Yellow Submarine’s member-led steering group. Periscope gives a voice to the people we support, helping shape what we do and how we do it. Gareth shares why being part of Periscope is important to him.

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe

Do you see me? We Can thrive at work! 💛

Freya is one of our wonderful trainees and a self-proclaimed social butterfly! Her favourite part of café work is everything although serving customers, being friendly and getting to know them is a highlight! Freya says one of the best skills she’s built is her physical strength and stamina - thanks to all that hoovering and mopping!

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe

Do you see me? We can access the community💛

Take a sneak peek into a day in the life at Reach, our adults daytime programme where mornings are spent learning new skills and afternoons are for fun and friends. Our Wednesday Reach group have been very busy this term learning how to make computer games at the Story Museum, we can’t wait to give their games a go! The group enjoyed time in our Oxford hub and ventured out to a local café for some tea an games before heading home!

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #Community #Inclusion #Reach #Potential

Do you see me... We can get a job! 💛

Jess proved that with the right support, people with learning disabilities can excel in employment. After completing our traineeship, she landed a job and is now thriving! Her employer says: “Jess is seriously so confident now and went out with the team for our Christmas do in Oxford city centre... Amazing young lady.”

Find out more about the impact of our traineeship on our shop website, link in bio.

#WeCan #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouSeeMe

"Do you see me?" is the theme of this year's Learning Disability week as led by Mencap. This week, we’re proud to share the voices and stories of our incredible members. Stay tuned!

#WeCan #DoYouSeeMe #LearningDisabilityWeek #InclusionMatters

Our new Life Changing Bakery is really starting to take shape, and we couldn’t be more excited! This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support from our community. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s played a part in making this happen.

A huge thank you to Neil Wild from Wild-Property for securing the building and negotiating the lease, he generously offered his time and expertise at no charge. We're also grateful to Beard Construction for arranging a free building survey before the lease was signed and donating building materials. The Step Change Fund provided essential funding for the fit-out and equipment, and a big thank you to Matthew James Building for donating their time and expertise to handle all the building and plumbing work.

We’re so grateful for all the support we have received and can’t wait to share more updates soon! Stay tuned!

#WeCan #ThankYou #LifeChangingBakery

Our former trainee Becca visited us with a lovely gift of Lego flowers! Alfie did a great job of putting them together for the Café.

#WeCan

This month, our Witney Café at the Windrush Leisure Centre celebrates 10 years of empowering individuals with learning disabilities and autism with work experience and serving the Witney community with our delicious coffee and bakes.

We're excited that 10 years on we continue to grow and our Life Changing Bakery will be opening very soon, meaning more people can try our delicious life changing bakes whilst providing opportunities to our trainees. Thank you to the Witney community for making this journey possible!

Here's to the next chapter of creating opportunities and making a difference!

#WeCan #LifeChangingCafe #WitneyCommunity

Don't forget to join us tomorrow evening for our AGM! Have your say on all things Yellow Submarine and get updated on our latest charity news. Members, families, carers and supporters welcome!

📅 Thursday 12th June, 7pm
📍Yellow Submarine, 12 Park End Street, OX1 1HH

#WeCan #AGM #HaveYourSay

Meet our Team 💛

Sophie is one of our amazing Activity Manager. She plans and delivers our Young People’s projects in South Oxfordshire, alongside our other Activity Managers. They have a lot of fun on Young People’s activities - from school holiday trips into the community, weekly ‘Sub Squad’ evening clubs, and exciting residential holidays, there are plenty of adventures to be had! Sophie's favourite part of her job is enabling Young People to have new experiences, gain independence and make genuine long-lasting friendships. She's proud to work in an organisation where everyone is so passionate about their job, and is committed to uplifting and empowering members’ voices. When Sophie's not at Yellow Submarine, you can find her on stage performing improvised comedy with the Oxford Imps, spending time with friends and family, or travelling to as many places as possible!

#WeCan

Our Annual General Meeting is happening this Thursday, and we’d love to see our amazing community of members, families, carers, and supporters there. It’s a chance to share your thoughts, celebrate our achievements, and hear the latest updates from the charity.

📅 Thursday 12th June, 7pm
📍 Yellow Submarine, 12 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1HH

Let’s shape the future together 💛

#WeCan #YellowSubmarineAGM #HaveYourSay

Ever thought about volunteering? Volunteering with Yellow Submarine is an experience that is rewarding in many ways. As well as being a fantastic opportunity to support people with learning disabilities, their families and carers, and making a positive change in your community; you will be learning new skills, gaining CV experience and meeting a lot of new people! Visit our website to find out more, link in bio.

#WeCan #Volunteering

We want to hear from you! Have you volunteered for Yellow Submarine or have a special thank you to give to our volunteers? Comment below! 💛

#WeCan #VolunteersWeek

Volunteering is incredibly rewarding—but don’t just take our word for it! Meet Janet, one of our amazing volunteers, as she shares her volunteering story...

"I had been looking for a volunteering role that would fit around my work schedule when I came across an advert from Yellow Submarine. After visiting the café in Oxford and meeting some of the members and staff team I knew that this was the organisation I had been looking for. I have been involved in activity days including beach trips, theatre, craft days etc and residential holidays in Blackpool and Bognor! No two days are the same and every day is rewarding in so many ways, days full of smiles and fun, I have honestly enjoyed every moment.

As well as being a fantastic opportunity to support people with learning disabilities it is a real opportunity to learn new skills and challenge yourself. Everyone at Yellow Submarine is welcoming, happy, positive and enthusiastic, all working together to ensure everyone has a fantastic experience. I love interacting with the members and get enormous satisfaction from volunteering, I really feel part of the team.

I am looking forward to my next adventure with Yellow Submarine, Disneyland Paris!"

#WeCan #VolunteerStory #VolunteersWeek

This #VolunteersWeek, we're celebrating the incredible impact of volunteering. We can't do that without shining a light on our wonderful trainees who volunteer to gain valuable work experience. Volunteering offers incredible opportunities for our trainees with learning disabilities and autism, we’re always looking for inclusive organisations to help us. We also offer training to help your team feel confident and supported.

"We have developed a great connection with Yellow Submarine, which has been mutually beneficial to both our organisations. The team have delivered some fantastic training for our staff and volunteers that has given us the confidence to support volunteers with learning disabilities and autism. In turn, we've been able to offer volunteering opportunities to Yellow Submarine members who have helped us with various jobs around the site. We have been so impressed with the organisation and the young people and adults they are supporting." - Victoria, Volunteer Manager at Cogges Farm.

Want to get involved? We’d love to hear from you! Contact Rachael, rachael.blakey@yellowsubmarine.org.uk

#WeCan #VolunteeringOpportunities #SocialImpact #Inclusion

It's #VolunteersWeek! Volunteers are at the heart of our charity so we are excited to celebrate them this week. Their time, energy, and compassion make everything we do possible. From everyone at Yellow Submarine - THANK YOU!

#WeCan #VolunteersWeek

We had 12 young people attend a dance class at the wonderful @jillstewschoolofdance! Amy and Anna, our instructors, were brilliant and we learnt a routine step by step - performing it at the end of the session. All of the young people loved it and were super proud of the end result! A huge thank you to Amy and Anna!

#WeCan #Collaboration #ThankYou

Our members had a wonderful holiday in Belgium! They made the most of what CentreParcs had to offer and explored the local area!

#WeCan

We hope you have enjoyed our young people’s films this week. We are so impressed with how they brought their creative visions to life. Their final film is Horror themed!

#WeCan #LearningDisability #Autism #Community #Collaboration #ShadowLightArtists #FilmOxford

Our young people loved stepping in front of the green screening and putting their acting skills on show! Today we are showing their Fantasy film!

#WeCan #LearningDisability #Autism #Community #Collaboration #ShadowLightArtists #FilmOxford

From start to finish our Young People took ownership of their project with Film Oxford. From creating storyboards, designing props, and even making their own costumes! Today we are showing their Superhero film!

#WeCan #LearningDisability #Autism #Community #Collaboration #ShadowLightArtists #FilmOxford

Lights, Camera, Action! We had an amazing time working with the team at Film Oxford to create short films with 22 of our incredible young people! We will be sharing each of the short films starting with their Adventure film today! Big thanks to Richard, Chris, Poppy, and Wendy for making this experience unforgettable!

#WeCan #LearningDisability #Autism #Community #Collaboration #FilmOxford #ShadowlightArtists

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YELLOW SUBMARINE