Change Please

Did you know that 47% of those experiencing homelessness in the UK cite lack of skills or qualifications as a key barrier to securing employment? This is why we use an employment first model and barista training program as a focus in the fight against homelessness. Hear from our Training Manager, Jason Tsontilis: "Our barista training provides essential skills that not only enhance employability but also boost confidence and self-esteem. The programme has been tailored to provide trainees practical knowledge relevant to the Coffee Industry, but also focuses on valuable skills like CV writing, interview preparation and budget management, to name a few. Training fosters a sense of community and support which is crucial for those who have faced isolation. It also helps us gain insight on each person's unique situation and therefore allowing us to form a suitable plan to help them transition back into stable employment. Part of our success is based on the people we work with and a perfect example of that would be the Mustard Tree team in Manchester. They have been essential in helping our trainees by making them feel welcome and comfortable on their site and have been proactive in finding solutions to accommodate trainees with special requirements. Sodexo and Compass Group have also been instrumental in securing placements on their sites and ensuring trainees receive the ongoing support that they need." Thanks to the incredible work by Jason and his team we are able to help so many trainees gain news skills and confidence to help them back into the world of work. After successfully graduating and finding onward employment trainee, Farah* share that ““Since joining the Change Please Barista Training Programme I have gained the ability to interact with new people and provide brilliant customer service to them. As a person who is going through anxiety issues, this was the biggest achievement. I have received a call today and I have got a job offer. I am super excited, and all this wouldn't be possible without you being there as my support.”  *Names changed to obtain anonymity #changeplease #changepleasefoundation #10daysforchange Day 2 of 10 Days for Change Cemal Ezel OBE Robert Gillon Ken Love Damaris Charnley Keith Higham Susan Taylor Joseph Withers Char James

Today is International Coffee Day! ☕ To mark the time between International Coffee Day (1st October) and World Homeless Day (10th October) we have created 10 Days for Change, a period of fundraising, awareness and partnerships. These dates are integral to who we are, as we continue our fight against homelessness through the power of employment and great tasting coffee. Our aim is to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness, and over the next 10 days we will be focusing on informing, inspiring and educating you on the issues of homelessness and sharing Change Please success stories. Importantly we will be showing how you can take action, whether this is through volunteering, fundraising and advocating for policy changes. We encourage you to engage as much as possible and read our 2023-2024 impact report, which is out today, to learn more about the incredible work our teams and partners have been doing over the past year. https://lnkd.in/eQTf3ug5 Hear from Change Please Founder and Co-CEO, Cemal Ezel OBE: #changeplease #coffeethatfuelschange Cemal Ezel OBE Robert Gillon Vaida Gruzauskaite Tara Cunningham Rebecca Benham Ken Love

We are thrilled to announce that we are launching our first barista training program in Dublin, Ireland! 🇮🇪 Our expansion into Ireland is part of our broader effort to address homelessness through social enterprise and job creation. Thanks to the generous £1 million donation by Nespresso UK we are able to starting making substantial impact on homelessness in the Republic of Ireland, starting with a new training initiative in Dublin this October. The inaugural training cohort will commence this October, with referrals for trainees being made by DePaul, who provide low threshold, specialist services for those experiencing homelessness. The program will be hosted at the Dublin Barista School, where participants will receive comprehensive barista training designed to equip them with valuable skills for the coffee industry and beyond. In addition to barista training, the program will include an employability workshop facilitated by Honeycomb Jobs Ireland, a leading recruitment provider and help finding onward employment with our corporate and hospitality partners. “We are incredibly grateful to Nespresso for their remarkable support, which allows us to bring Change Please’s life-changing program to Ireland,” said Ken Love, Managing Director at Change Please. “With the combined expertise of Depaul, the Dublin Barista School, and Honeycomb, we are confident that this initiative will make a meaningful difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness and help pave the way to a brighter future.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/enDGyPSq Alpana Delaney Cemal Ezel OBE Robert Gillon Jason Tsontilis #ChangePlease #ChangePleaseFoundation #ChangePleaseIreland

Nespresso for Change Please Liverpool pop up ☕   Over the next month the Nespresso UK for Change Please van will be at Liverpool ONE serving our incredible Nespresso UK for Change Please coffee.   Click here for more information on the Partnership that Fuels Change https://lnkd.in/eYvsEqym #changeplease #nespresso #liverpool

National Inclusion Week 2024 Did you know that women make up 51% of the UK population, but only 36.2% of senior management roles in the UK are held by women? And 35% of LGBTQ+ employees have faced discrimination or harassment at work?* This highlights the need for stronger inclusion policies in many workplaces. At Change Please we are committed to inclusion, and we will continue to implement inclusion throughout our business. A few ways we are doing this is by setting diversity and inclusion as a core value within the organisation, integrating it into the company’s mission, goals, and strategies. Along with developing and enforcing inclusive policies and Providing Diversity and Inclusion Training to all team members.  We believe it is vital to promote a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute. Ensuring we create safe spaces where employees and trainees can voice their concerns, ideas, and feedback. *source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) #NationalInclusionWeek #ChangePleaseCoffee #ChangePleaseFoundation

Change Please Ireland Update 🇮🇪 Thanks to our ongoing partnership with Nespresso UK, and their donation, we are continuing to work towards launching our first Barista Training Programme in Dublin. As part of this continued growth in Ireland we are delighted to become members of Dublin Chamber, with Alpana Delaney (Head of Programmes IRE & NI) being an elected member for Chamber Council, serving on the Sustainability & Infrastructure Taskforce. As a Dublin Chamber member we have the opportunity to engage with professionals from a range of industries, and have a say in shaping policies that affect your industry. Alpana Delaney expressed that “It was a pleasure to meet Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke along side Change Please MD Ken Love. We look forward to working with you as we launch in Ireland.” We look forward to seeing our continued growth in Ireland and the impact we will be able to have. #changepleasefoundation #changepleasecoffee Alpana Delaney Ken Love Dublin Chamber Mary Rose Burke

☕ Calling All Charlotte #FacilityManagers, LEVERAGE Your BEVERAGE is BACK! 🎉 Join us for coffee and networking at Change Please Coffee inside the Innovation Barn on Thursday, October 10th from 8-9:30 AM. Connect with fellow professionals and explore opportunities with IFMA Charlotte as we engage in the world of commercial facilities management. It’s the perfect way to start your day—building relationships, sharing insights, and growing your network. Please REMEMBER WE ARE COLLECTING goodie bags for Nourish Up, so please check our page and see what items are needed most! Bring them to this event, or you can drop off at Atapco Properties, Inc. in the University area. Every bit counts, and the winner has the most donations and the best looking goodie bags will win big prizes at this year's holiday party, Thursday, Dec 12th! Don't miss out, see you there! #FacilityManagement #IFMACharlotte Register now: https://lnkd.in/gZhFGbdv

Today is Employability Day and this year’s theme is Employment Support for Every Citizen. Despite Employment Related Services Association (ERSA)'s huge strides as a sector, millions of people still want support to find work but can’t access it. As part of our Barista Training Programme every Trainee has the opportunity to attend our employability workshops. These workshops are open to all no matter their background or skill level. These workshops are a key component to the Barista Training Programme as they help support long term solutions to getting people back into the world of work. Two of the most valuable sessions are CV writing and mock interviews. One of our amazing volunteers Sandra Agyepong, Resourcing Coordinator at Lexington, conducts mock interviews with our trainees. When asked about her experience conducting these sessions she said that, “I really enjoy meeting new people and seeing the work they put into it for a new start in life. It is admirable to see so much resilience and commitment. I want to think that we manage to give the trainees a bit more self-confidence or reassurance by giving them some tricks for interviews. I also want them to understand that setbacks are not failures when you see the bigger picture, it’s a learning curve. They have so much more to offer than they think, what they went through makes them richer in life experience than most.” If you would like to get involved in the employability workshops and volunteer with us please email volunteer@changeplease.org Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) #employabilityday2024 #changeplease #employabilityworkshops

Day 2 at #louderthanwords #bcorpfestivaluk in Oxford, the largest-ever gathering of B Corps to harness the power of people using business as a force for good. We’re here meeting the growing community of 2,000 #BCorps, putting ideas into action and tackling the issues that matter! You’ll find our Nespresso for Change Please coffee van outside St Annes College from 12-4pm today ☕️ Come and say hello 👋 Nespresso UK Change Please B Lab UK

As part of our ongoing partnership with Nespresso UK we have opened up various volunteering opportunities for their teams, one of these volunteering opportunities is a ‘Coffee and a Chat’ on the Driving for Change bus.   We were honoured to have our first volunteers from Nespresso UK on the bus earlier this week, here is what Gabriella Lambert shared about the experience: “The Driving for Change initiative, by Change Please, is a wonderful experience helping the London community and we should truly be proud of our partnership.   Karen Costar and I were the first volunteers to go on the bus and it was a fantastic day. If you have ever wondered about a charity to support that is making a difference, you should dive in feet first to supporting this partnership and get on that bus! While you are on the bus you will oversee the coffee corner and your job is to make it a welcoming place for all! You will be pouring coffees while people wait to see the barber, dentist or doctor. The main advice we can give you is to come with an open mind about the day and be ready to learn and engage with everyone who comes onboard.   The act of pouring a cup of coffee and having a conversation does go a long way - everyone has a story to share and we will learn from one another through these experiences!” To find out more about the partnership and to buy the Nespresso for Change Please pods click here: https://lnkd.in/eYvsEqym #changeplease #changepleasefoundation #nespresso #drivingforchange