Change Please

Our first Change Please USA Impact Report is here! Discover the incredible work your coffee purchases, support and donations have helped make happen over the past year. We'd like to offer HUGE thanks to all of those who have joined us on our journey and helped us to get to this point and we are very excited to do even more in 2025". Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eetPpKxU Cemal Ezel OBE Ryan McMillan Andy Magel Robert Gillon  #ChangePleaseUSA  #CoffeeThatFuelsChange  #GoodCoffeeDoingGood

We recently held a global summit, bringing together our impacts teams from the UK, Ireland, France and the USA. 🇬🇧 🇮🇪 🇫🇷 🇺🇸 Head of Impact Operations for the UK, Keith Higham expressed that 'The Impact Summit united our global Impact teams for a day of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and inspiration. It was an incredibly insightful experience, showcasing how we deliver Impact in diverse ways across different countries. The opportunity to learn from one another in a room filled with passionate individuals, all committed to driving positive change in homelessness, was truly transformative. The collective energy and ideas generated during the summit left everyone inspired, ready to bring renewed focus and innovation to every aspect of our training and employment models.' We can't wait to see even more impact growth across the world in 2025! Benjamin SALEM Laurence Mainaud Ross Lawrence Julian Burnham Keith Higham Damaris Charnley Char James Joseph Withers Kirsty Reid Alpana Delaney Shameen R. Jason Tsontilis Andy Magel

We are delighted to announce that we held our first Barista Training Workshop in Edinburgh, making this our second training programme in Scotland since launching the Scottish Impact Programme in 2024! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Alongside the barista training, Nespresso UK hosted an awareness session which gave trainees an insight into the Nespresso for Change Please partnership and education around how to use the coffee machines. We then held an employability workshop for our trainees, during the session Compass Group came into discuss the different employment opportunities they have available. Hear from one of our recent trainees, who attended the Edinburgh Barista Training Programme, “I Found the course interesting, interactive, and multi-cultural. Without this course, it would have just been a normal week, feeling low and without direction and purpose”. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our mission to fight homelessness ☕ Kirsty Reid Magdalena Mielke Ken Love #changepleasescotland #baristatraining

We are proud to have partnered with Sodexo since 2017 and today our coffee is served at a multitude of Sodexo client sites.    On Friday we celebrated the success of the Change Please Academy at Manchester Science Park, which was launched by Sodexo and Bruntwood SciTech in April 2023. The event showcased the achievements of the seven people who have participated in the programme, providing them with the skills, confidence and support to transform their lives. On the day, graduates and partners, including Sodexo UK & Ireland’s Director of Social Impact, Angela Halliday, shared powerful stories, highlighting the programme’s success in creating meaningful change.     Read more about the academy and its success so far here: https://lnkd.in/e8QTd2BD Ken Love Shameen R. #changeplease #changepleasefoundation #regionalimpact #sodexo

Today is Blue Monday, reportedly the most depressing day of the year. Depression and mental health issues are a leading cause of homelessness, that’s why providing mental health support is at the heart of what we do for our trainees and Driving for Change guests, such as Sam.*   Sam has struggled with a long history of substance and alcohol abuse, and as a result, he has become entrenched in the cycle of addiction and homelessness. In turn this has led to him suffering from depression and drug-induced psychosis, which have resulted in multiple hospitalisations. Last year, Sam was admitted to a treatment unit for suicidal ideation, which led him to realise the extent of the trauma he had caused. Since being discharged, he has taken his recovery and personal growth very seriously.   Sam now attends the Driving For Change bus every Monday and Wednesday. He feels valued, which has inspired him to continue his journey of recovery. The bus provides him with mental health support along with essentials such as clothing, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, and body wash.   Speaking with our support staff Sam expressed, “Since working with DFC, I feel like a completely different person. I look different, and my hair and teeth have greatly improved. I now have the motivation to take better care of myself, and my personal hygiene has significantly improved. This has helped me secure temporary independent accommodation.” If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, please reach out to Samaritans, Homeless Link, or your local support centre for further support. *name changed to obtain anonymity #changeplease #changepleasefoundation #DrivingforChange

Yesterday we were excited to welcome the Sodexo team to our TrainingAcademy in Peckham, to talk about our partnership and their social impact pledge. Sodexo are one of our incredible partners who not only serve our coffee but support our mission in so many ways, proving the true power in partnership. We look forward to sharing the full interview soon… 👀 Cemal Ezel OBE Ken Love Tara Cunningham Guy Battle Angela Halliday Jean Renton Tom Martin

We are proud to celebrate five years of a transformative partnership with Virgin Atlantic, a partnership that has served more than just coffee. Since the partnership began in 2019, Virgin Atlantic has helped drive our mission to support people experiencing homelessness through training and employment opportunities, while bringing ethically sourced, high-quality coffee to travellers across the Atlantic. With each cup of coffee sold on Virgin Atlantic flights, they have provided vital funding for our training and employment programs, accelerating our growth in the UK and beyond. In the UK, their contribution has funded 20 trainees through our programme, including Rob, who received vital services from the support team and was later referred to the Barista Training Programme and hasn’t looked back. He is now in full time employment and feeling positive about the future. “I was first directed towards Change Please when I needed the help of getting a new bank account. Michelle, my fairy godmother as I call her now, helped me with things like that, and then put me onto the Barista Training Programme. It was basically someone putting a hand on my shoulder at the time that I needed support, and directed me in the right direction. Working with Change Please pulled me back to I would say sanity – myself. It was the support I needed when everybody else was running away from me, when I was asking for help.” This partnership is just the beginning of a long-term collaboration between Virgin Atlantic and Change Please, with plans to expand the initiative and explore new ways of working together to drive social impact in 2025. Read more about this transformative partnership: https://lnkd.in/eHupRZg8 #changeplease #changepleasecoffee #coffeethatfuelschange #virginatlantic

Our Q4 Newsletter is here! Discover the incredible work your coffee purchases and donations have helped make happen over the past few months. With 62 people attending the three day coffee workshop, 35 people progressing to the 12-week Barista Training Programme, 375 hours of support provided and much more! Read the full newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eSfMAcYG Cemal Ezel OBE Robert Gillon Ken Love Keith Higham Damaris Charnley #changeplease #changepleasefoundation #impactreport

Grab your coffee and fuel your day with our January menu! Introducing our new Honey Oat Latte and bringing back the classic Caramel Latte and Caramel Iced Latte. Available now at all Change Please coffee bars! #changeplease #changepleasecoffee

Today, our Founder & CEO Cemal Ezel OBE sat down with Oli Barrett MBE to share the incredible journey of Change Please. They explored how the support from the British Business Bank has powered our mission, plus Cemal's personal highlights and ambitions for the future. Stay tuned—the full interview is coming soon! #changeplease #britishbussinessbank