Change Please: A Charitable Coffee Company Brewing Solutions to Homelessness Since 2015
Founded in 2015, Change Please was created to address the devastating impact of homelessness on individuals and society in the UK and beyond through charitable coffee. What began with a single coffee cart in London’s Covent Garden has grown into an award-winning social enterprise that uses coffee as a catalyst for change. Partnered with Avanti West Coast since 2019, coffee with a cause can be enjoyed aboard daily services across the UK.
From Coffee to Life-Changing Impact
Through our innovative barista training programme, we empower people experiencing homelessness by giving them the tools and support they need to turn their lives around. Trainees are provided with:
- A living wage job
- Assistance in securing housing
- Access to therapy
- Help with opening bank accounts
- Onward employment opportunities
Our mission is funded entirely through Change Please Coffee’s profits, all of which go to the Change Please Foundation, alongside other generous donations.
Coffee with a Cause Expanding to New Horizons
Since our first cart, we’ve opened 10 coffee bars across London and established a training academy in Peckham. Our work has also expanded beyond the UK to international markets, including the USA, France, and Australia, with plans for further growth.
One very exciting endeavour has been our partnership with Avanti. As an Avanti West Coast coffee supplier, our delicious and impactful product travels across the UK every day, making life-changing coffee even more accessible.
Driving for Change
In 2021, we launched Driving for Change, an innovative impact programme providing life-saving services to London’s rough-sleeping and vulnerable communities.
Driving for Change operates iconic double-decker buses equipped to offer vital services:
- NHS and oral healthcare
- Hairdressing services
- Financial inclusion support
- Access to essential everyday items
Crucially, the buses also serve as a pathway to employment, with some guests transitioning into our barista training programme and securing full-time jobs. The initiative currently operates five days a week across nine London boroughs, helping hundreds of people each month.
A Proven Formula for Change
The success of Change Please lies in its holistic approach to tackling homelessness. By combining employment opportunities, essential services, and innovative outreach, we continue to prove that equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to work can unlock their potential and offer a fresh start.
As we expand our reach, our commitment remains unwavering: to brew great coffee and even greater change.
The Future of Change Please
In 2024, our focus was on continuing to grow our impact in both our London heartland while also expanding into new geographies, like Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. We trained more people, in more locations, and found more jobs than ever while our 'Driving For Change' outreach programme supported more people experiencing homelessness than ever across London. On top of that, we joined the Crisis x DWP 'Homelessness Covenant'. We also achieved B-Corp certification and offset all Scope 1 & 2 emissions by achieving One Carbon World 'Carbon Neutral International Standards. Our passion for sustainability and the environment further align us with Avanti, who aim to be a net zero-carbon business by 2031.
In 2025, we will continue to build on our work and create a deeper impact. One of the most charitable coffee companies out there, we will expand into more locations across the UK & Ireland like Liverpool and Belfast. We will also entrench our impact in existing locations with enhanced infrastructure to support more people, with a greater need. We intend to build 'impact hubs' in our core geographies which incorporate Change Please operated retail outlets, referral partnerships with local charity partners as well as enhanced employment partnerships with commercial foodservice partners.
The future is bright for Change Please, so do look out for us. And next time you savour a cup of our hot coffee on the train, reflect on the good causes you’re supporting.
