Cemal Ezel
Change Please CIC
Food and Drink
London
There isn't another social enterprise like Change Please.
We have a simple model where we train people experiencing homelessness as baristas, pay the Living wage, support with housing and then into onward employment. Since 2015, we have:
- Launched with David Lloyd Leisure centres in over 100 locations
- Coffee contracts with three new major contract caterers
- Launching of new retail sites with Halifax and Transport for London
- Launching in Manchester with WeWork and supported by Mayor's Office in Manchester
- Featured on Comic Relief 2019
- Supported by Mayor of London and visited in February 2019
- Great Taste Awards winner
- Launched Training Academy
- Change Please Australia, Change Please Foundation and Change Please USA launched
- Richard Branson's Startup of the year 2018
- Quality Food Award Winner 2018
- WeWork Creator Global Finalist 2018
- WeWork Creator Regional Winner 2018
- Chivas Venture Global Winner 2018
- Great Taste Awards winner
- Launching of new retail sites with Halifax and Transport for London
- Great Taste Awards winner
- Articles in online national newspapers; The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, Sky News
- Featured videos on the BBC
- Articles in international press in the USA and Europe
- New Producer Awards Supreme Champion Award 2017
- Commercial sponsorship with MasterCard
- WeWork Creator finalist
- Supported by Virgin Unite with developing our Brand in 2017
- Won the SeUK "One-to-Watch" award 2016
- Featured in BBC Documentary, "Famous, Rich and Homeless" in 2016
- Won the NatWest Se100 "Trailblazing Newcomer" award 2016
- Won the World Beverage and Food Innovation Best coffee 2016
- Big Venture Challenge winners
We have worked with over 200 people since launching and have big plans to expand our work nationally and internationally.