We could really change the world

In 2015, Change Please launched with a single coffee cart. Their mission – backed by Big Issue – was to train people experiencing homelessness to become baristas. Pair that training with a Living Wage job and wraparound support, founder Cemal Ezel thought, and it’s a winning formula to help vulnerable people turn their lives around. It’s a simple idea: by drinking coffee, conscientious consumers can change lives. It worked. Nine years on, Change Please has 10 coffee bars in London. In 2023, they helped more than 1,550 people experiencing homelessness. Now, the social enterprise has crossed the Irish sea, fuelled by a £1 million partnership with Nespresso.

“Thanks to Nespresso’s generous donation, we’ve been able to greatly accelerate our impact in Ireland,” Ezel says. “We’re seeing inspiring success stories already.”

Sabawii is one of Change Please’s success stories. A former rough sleeper, he has been in temporary accommodation for 14 months. And now, thanks to skills learned on his three-month Change Please traineeship, he is seeing new opportunities opening up.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the barista training from Change Please,” he says. “It’s truly transformative. The in-depth knowledge and passion of the trainers give me skills and confidence. Thank you for an unforgettable experience that’s elevated my love for coffee to a whole new level!” Once his training is complete, Change Please will support Sabawii in his next steps.

The inaugural Irish programme in Dublin has worked with six trainees referred by charities Depaul Ireland and Tiglin. Three are ready for work and are moving into a mix of 12-week placements and full-time roles, while the remaining trainees will be ready to begin employment in February 2025.

I’m incredibly grateful for the barista training from Change Please. It’s truly transformative.

Rebecca, a recent Change Please Trainee and graduate, is part of this cohort. She praises the programme’s “hands-on approach.” “Change Please show tremendous compassion,” she says. “[They] work to address the psychosocial prerequisites of those looking to instil lasting transformation in their lives.”

Employment offers an escape from homelessness. But without ID or a stable base, it’s difficult to land a job. There’s also stigma – a 2020 YouGov poll found that 40% of employers did not know it was legal to employ someone who was homeless. All these factors erode applicants’ confidence. But the Change Please programme helps to build it back up.

Nespresso employees have also been volunteering at Change Please employability workshops, supporting trainees with interview skills and building a CV from scratch. One of the new Change Please trainees has even secured a job with Nespresso. This “direct support” is invaluable, says Ezel. “The positive impact of this partnership is becoming more evident every day. We look forward to building on this momentum.”

Like Big Issue, Change Please’s pioneering model puts employment first, empowering people experiencing homelessness to return to work. It’s appropriate, then, that the first ever Change Please Graduate was a Big Issue vendor, Lucy. She went on to become a qualified barista and run the Change Please coffee van at Canary Wharf. But for too many, such hope remains out of reach.

In Ireland, the number of people accessing emergency accommodation surpassed 14,000 this year, a 14% increase on 2023. In England, 358,370 households contacted their local authority for support after being threatened with homelessness in 2023-24, up more than 10% in a year. Of these, 324,990 were assessed as homeless. Street homelessness is also up. In the annual count to March 2024, observers spotted 11,993 rough sleepers on London’s streets.

Change Please’s work couldn’t be more important: 100% of their profits go towards fighting homelessness – meaning consumers can help solve the problem simply by purchasing a delicious cup of coffee. “If we can get a small proportion of coffee drinkers to simply change where they buy their coffee, we could really change the world,” says Ezel.

Six months into their partnership with Change Please, Nespresso is “incredibly proud”, says Anna Lundstrom, CEO, Nespresso UK & ROI. “It’s amazing to be able to see the powerful role coffee can play in driving positive change. We are very excited to bring more positive change in tackling this important cause in 2025.”

The Nespresso for Change Please blend is available for Original, Vertuo and Nespresso Professional systems. Buy online or in Nespresso boutiques. Profits go towards supporting Change Please’s vital work.