Change Please and Virgin Atlantic Celebrate Five Years of Partnership Empowering People Out of Homelessness
Virgin Atlantic and Change Please are proud to celebrate five years of a transformative partnership that has served more than just coffee. Since the partnership began in 2019, Virgin Atlantic has helped Change Please drive its mission to support people experiencing homelessness through training and employment opportunities, while bringing ethically sourced, high-quality coffee to travelers across the Atlantic.
The five-year milestone marks a period of meaningful impact, during which Virgin Atlantic has played a critical role in supporting Change Please’s growth. This partnership has not only raised awareness of homelessness but also helped change lives through sustainable employment and practical training.
With each cup of coffee sold on Virgin Atlantic flights, a portion of the proceeds is channeled back to Change Please, providing vital funding for its training and employment programs.
Through Virgin Atlantic’s support, Change Please has been able to scale its operations and expand its reach, allowing the social enterprise to help more people transition out of homelessness.
The coffee company help people experiencing homelessness by training them to become baristas, supporting them with everything they need to turn their lives around - a living wage job, support with housing, therapy, bank account and onward employment opportunities.
The contribution has not only accelerated their growth in the UK, but has allowed them to launch into the US, paying for a new training academy in New York. The opening of the training centre has allowed Change Please to deliver impact where it is really needed- In November 2023, there were 92,879 homeless people, including 33,399 homeless children, sleeping each night in New York City’s main municipal shelter system.
In addition to the opening of the centre, the contribution has also funded twelve trainees to go through the programme. Through this they have received 25 hours of barista training, 40 hours of immersive workplace experiences with partners such as Google and JP Morgan and 16 hours of onward employment support.
Last year, trainee Leora graduated from our barista training programme in New York, sharing:
“My engagement with Change Please has yielded exciting and rewarding experiences. By keeping me informed about key players in the coffee industry, Change Please has broadened my knowledge. After completing my training, I transitioned into a hands-on role at Google.
I am deeply fulfilled by my work and grateful for the skills I acquired through Change Please, which have elevated my career aspirations”.
Back in the UK, the contribution has funded 20 trainees through the 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.”
An estimated 3,898 people were counted as sleeping rough across England on a single night in autumn 2023. The donation Virgin Atlantic have given has helped to turn lives around, giving people the tools to get back into employment and looks towards a positive future.
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. Both companies are committed to sustainability and giving back to communities, making this a partnership rooted in shared values.
Ken Love, UK & I Managing Director - “Our partnership with Virgin Atlantic is something that we are beyond proud of. With their laser-focus on ED&I, Sustainability and doing the right thing, Virgin Atlantic are one of the most progressive airlines in the world. That they have allowed us to set up a training infrastructure in New York as well as support 32 people on both sides of the pond is just phenomenal. We can’t thank the amazing team at Virgin Atlantic enough and are so excited to see where it can go next!”