This summer we celebrated four years of Fruitful Wednesdays at Paddington Central with our partner, Pursuing Independent Paths (PiP). One of our community’s most valued partnerships, PiP is a local charity that empowers adults with learning disabilities and autism to gain skills and opportunities, enabling them to achieve their ambitions and lead a life of their choice. 

The Fruitful Initiative 

Fruitful is a social enterprise-style vocational training project that equips students with hospitality and customer service skills, blending classroom learning with paid work. Over a seven-week period this summer, six students led Fruitful Wednesdays. They managed tasks such as unpacking boxes of fruit, creating labelling systems and recipe cards, preparing juices and smoothies as well as distributing fresh fruit to customers across Paddington Central. All the while earning a London Living Wage.  

Developing Skills and Independence 

A key focus of the residency is to help develop the students’ customer service, food preparation and hygiene, hospitality and interpersonal skills. Each customer interaction provided the students opportunity to enhance their independence. This was evident by the students' confidence and social skills, which greatly improved each week, highlighting the profound impact of practical, hands-on experience. 

Student Spotlight 

Zeina, perhaps the most enthusiastic team member, experienced her second stint with Fruitful at Paddington Central. Once shy and timid, Zeina's confidence has grown tremendously, and she has truly found her voice. With the support of staff, volunteers, and her fellow team members, she has embraced public speaking and challenged herself to engage with customers. She informed them of the fruit on offer and the smoothie-making process, ensuring every customer left satisfied with their choice. Zeina is a dedicated worker who consistently brings joy to customers with her enthusiastic calls of 'free smoothies' making sure no one misses out! 

Growth and Success 

Fruitful continues to grow year-on-year. This residency we had to increase fruit and smoothies weekly to meet customer demand, yet Fruitful sold out earlier and earlier each week. During the 7-week project, over 7,000 smoothies were prepared by PiP students, equating to 7 bathtubs! An additional 12,000 pieces of fruit were handed out, ensuring everyone who participated in Fruitful Wednesday got their 5-a-day. 

A Partnership for Progress 

The long-standing partnership between Paddington Central and PiP forms part of British Land’s placed based approach and wider commitment to supporting accessible training and employment initiatives on campus. 

Denise Largin, CEO of PiP, speaks on how the residencies with British Land have helped develop Fruitful as a social enterprise “Our partnership with British Land has been vital for the development of Fruitful. Our work with the team at Paddington Central and the impact this has had on our students has led PiP to adopt a ‘residency’ model each term for Fruitful from 2023. Alongside this, it does immeasurable benefit for our local profile and supports our students to feel part of their community. Thank you!” 

Paddington Central Estate Director, Rob Stickland, is a big fan of the programme at Paddington Central: “We are thrilled to welcome back PiP and their Fruitful initiative to Paddington Central. A firm favourite on our event calendar, this partnership is especially meaningful to us as it fosters community pride and collaboration while providing valuable work experience and skills development. Community is at the heart of everything we do at Paddington Central, and seeing Fruitful grow and improve with each residency has been incredibly rewarding. Together, we are making a meaningful difference.” 

‘Thriving Places’ - a key pillar of British Land’s Sustainability Strategy, ‘Greener Spaces, Thriving Places, Responsible Choices' - focuses on three key areas: education, employment, and affordable space. Supporting initiatives like Fruitful, which are making long-lasting social impacts in the local community, plays an essential role in establishing accessible pathways to employment. 

Elsabe Sharpe, Events Operations Executive at British Land.