On Thursday 9 October, the new ‘Habbekrats’ house in Ninove (Okegem) was officially opened with support of La Lorraine Bakery Group. The house will be a warm meeting place for all youngsters in the neighborhood, especially for those in need of a safe haven or a fresh start. In 2025, LLBG will also start up an ‘Atelier La Lorraine’ project in the Habbekrats house.
LLBG supports new ‘Habbekrats’ house in Ninove
Educating youngsters through ‘Atelier La Lorraine’
The enthusiastic Habbekrats youngsters played an active role in the preparation of the opening: they helped prepare the cakes for the reception in our patisserie atelier in Ninove and also prepared snacks for all visitors during a bakery workshop.
But there is much more to come: in 2025, we want to set up a ‘Atelier La Lorraine’ project in the Habbekrats house, contributing to the education of the youngsters. Our ambition is to pass on bakery skills to the youngsters, increasing their future prospects and chances of employment while also giving them a taste of entrepreneurship.
Training week & bakery corner
We will be organizing a training week for the first cohort of youngsters in 2025, during which we will introduce them – with the help of LLBG volunteers – to various aspects of the bakery business: from sales & marketing to finance and communication, but with a focus on preparing and baking our products. The youngsters will then put this knowledge into practice by running a bakery corner in the Habbekrats house, where all neighbors are welcome for a weekly pastry or sandwich.
About Habbekrats
Habbekrats is a Belgian youth organization that has been supporting youngsters looking for warmth, friendship, adventure and advice for more than 30 years. Habbekrats has 13 houses in Belgium, acting as accessible, inclusive and safe meeting points for more than 2,500 youngsters, with a focus on youngsters from challenging backgrounds.
Long-term collaboration
“LLBG has been a sponsor of Habbekrats for many years. In addition to financial support, we donate bread to the various Habbekrats houses in Flanders and Brussels on a weekly basis, giving the youngsters a warm and cozy meal time. We are proud that we can give back to our community through our bakery products and look forward to soon starting our ‘Atelier La Lorraine’ project with the Habbekrats youngsters. This will enable us to share our bakery skills and passion, truly baking a better world together!”
Nele Van Malderen
Chief Communication & Sustainability Officer