Change Please is a social enterprise that provides barista training and jobs paying the London Living Wage, to support people experiencing homelessness. With multiple coffee shops and carts across the UK currently closed, the trained baristas from Change Please alongside volunteer baristas have been reassigned to hospital sites. The baristas and coffee served at the Nightingale Hospital in London are being funded by WeWork and Chivas.
Change Please won the global social enterprise competition Chivas Venture in 2018, securing $350K in no-strings funding to help grow the business into what it is today. Chivas has provided further funding to cover a week of operations and ensure they can continue their vital work during this unprecedented time. Change Please are ensuring that all baristas follow social distancing guidelines and are also provided with personal protective equipment.
“When we started Change Please back in 2015, our goal was to help vulnerable members of society get back on track with meaningful employment and skills training, while providing high-quality coffee. We are so pleased to be able to support the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London during this difficult time. We hope our coffee gives staff welcome respite and refreshment as a small gesture to thank them for their incredible efforts in saving lives.” – Founder of Change Please, Cemal Ezal
