Our volunteers at Miss Macaroon

In honour of National Volunteers’ Week, we would like to celebrate our wonderful team of volunteers at Miss Macaroon. Our place as one of Birmingham’s premier Social Enterprises couldn’t have been possible without the contribution of every one of them.

Our ever-growing list of volunteers include Board Members, Special Advisers, Mentors and much more! 

Meet our volunteers

To help us celebrate, we asked two of our volunteers – Satvir Bungar MBE and Natasha Eden – to share their experiences at Miss Macaroon. Satvir initially joined Miss Macaroon in 2019 as a Board Member. As of 2020, he has become Chairman of the Board. 

Essentially, the Miss Macaroon proposition has a serious backstory given it is all about focus on the underrepresented, the marginalized and the long-term unemployed.

– Satvir Bungar MBE

Natasha Eden is Miss Macaroon’s Non Executive Director and Vice Chair, having joined the company in 2018. Both have been instrumental in developing Miss Macaroon’s strategic direction over the past couple of years.

Why do our volunteers support Miss Macaroon?

Satvir Bungar MBE:

With my 20 years of experience in Corporate Finance, working primarily with successful entrepreneurs and corporates, delivering all sorts of strategic advice, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to recycle some of that experience. Having worked with other organisations in the past to improve corporate governance aspects, I felt I could bring a lot of value and sector intelligence to Miss Macaroon, and also make connections with my extended network of clients and intermediary relationships to build profile.

Essentially, the Miss Macaroon proposition has a serious backstory given it is all about focus on the underrepresented, the marginalized and the long-term unemployed. As a British Indian, this is something that I cannot ignore and success to me is about being part of this national drive in getting those individuals through our comprehensive training program and getting them into the world of work.

Natasha Eden:

I support Miss Macaroon because, from the outside as a buyer of the product , I saw the power that a social enterprise could play in educating consumers of needs in our society. Miss Macaroon plays a vital role in creating learning and employment opportunities.

Our volunteers’ favourite macaroon flavour:

Satvir Bungar MBE:

I really like the seasonal spring summer range and my favourite is Passion fruit and mango.

Natasha Eden:

My favourite macaroon flavour is lemon!

Our volunteers’ favourite memory of Miss Macaroon:

Satvir Bungar MBE:

I have been involved with Miss Macaroon since early 2019. During 2020, the social enterprise’s strength in the corporate market meant that when the pandemic hit, as with so many retailers, there was a lot of turbulence. Offices shut and meetings switched online, denying Miss Macaroon a large slice of their market. The Birmingham shop was also forced to close.

My best memory is of attending and supporting a learning session where trainees gave honest feedback to each other on presentation skills. Their skills had progressed so much, as had their ability to provide and receive feedback and support each other – it was incredible!

– Natasha Eden

It was vital to keep the training programme alive during the pandemic for all sorts of reasons and I am very proud of how Rosie and the team had to really step up and provide additional support above and beyond what we would have historically had to do. The challenges were immense, ranging from managing the financial affairs on a daily basis to identifying innovative ways to secure additional revenue during his difficult period.

Moreover, I was super proud of how Rosie and the team took the opportunity to accelerate plans to rebrand the whole business model, refreshing the website, designing new packaging, and upgrading the shop whilst it was closed. It was a testing time for Rosie and her team but I can honestly say the social enterprise has come out of this sensitive period with a much more resilient business model. 

Natasha Eden:

My best memory is of attending and supporting a learning session where trainees gave honest feedback to each other on presentation skills. Their skills had progressed so much, as had their ability to provide and receive feedback and support each other – it was incredible! I also very fondly remember Rosie, the very missed Barry Kinsella and I spending a day in the kitchen together during the first lockdown. Barry was a much loved volunteer who sadly passed away at the end of 2020.