How buying coffee can help end rough sleeping

Every cup can be part of the solution

On a single night in autumn 2025, 4,793 people were counted sleeping rough in England. As winter sets in, many of us want to help but aren’t sure how.

Emergency beds and outreach are vital. But leaving the streets for good takes something more lasting: skills, a steady income and people who believe in you.

The good news is that everyone can help build that for others, and it can start with your morning coffee.

Can buying coffee help end rough sleeping?

Yes. When you buy from a social enterprise like Change Please, your money funds paid barista training, housing support and a real job for someone who has experienced homelessness. Change Please gives 100% of its profits to the Change Please Foundation. A stable job is one of the strongest routes out of homelessness for good.

Why a bed isn’t enough

Getting someone indoors is the vital first step. Staying indoors depends on what comes next: an income, a routine, skills and people who believe in you.

Without a steady income, it’s hard to keep up with rent and bills, and too many people end up back where they started. Many people who have experienced homelessness also face barriers to work, such as gaps on their CV, no fixed address or lost confidence.

A job changes that. It brings a wage, a reference, confidence and colleagues. That’s exactly the gap social enterprises are built to fill.

How your coffee helps: the Change Please model

Change Please started in 2015 with a single coffee cart in Covent Garden. The idea was simple: great coffee, sold to fund a way out of homelessness. Here’s what happens when you buy a cup or a bag.

1. You buy great coffee. From one of our London sites, our online shop or your office coffee supply.
2. Profits go to the mission. 100% of Change Please profits go to the Change Please Foundation.
3. People train as baristas. Trainees learn their craft at our Specialty Coffee Training Academy in Peckham.
4. They get support to rebuild. That includes help with accommodation, mental health and finances.
5. They move into work. Over 85% of our trainees have gone on to ongoing employment.

As a certified B Corp, we’re held to independent standards on how we treat people and the planet.

Five everyday ways to help end rough sleeping

Helping doesn’t have to take hours or cost extra. These five things take minutes and add up.

1. Switch where you buy your coffee. Choose a social enterprise that turns profits into jobs. Your daily habit becomes a daily donation that costs you nothing extra.
2. Bring it to work. Ask your office or events team to stock social enterprise coffee. One workplace order can fund far more than one person’s morning flat white.
3. Use StreetLink if you see someone sleeping rough. In England and Wales, StreetLink connects people sleeping rough with local outreach teams. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
4. Back the charities doing the frontline work. Organisations like Crisis, Shelter, St Mungo’s and Centrepoint need donations and volunteers, especially over winter.
5. Talk about it. Share what you’ve learnt, and choose businesses that put people first. Every conversation helps change how we see homelessness.

Frequently asked questions

How can I help end rough sleeping in the UK?
Buy from social enterprises that create jobs for people who have experienced homelessness. Report anyone sleeping rough to StreetLink, and support frontline charities such as Crisis and St Mungo’s. Small, regular choices add up.

Does buying ethical coffee actually help homeless people?
It does when the business reinvests in people. Change Please gives 100% of its profits to the Change Please Foundation, which funds barista training, accommodation support and routes into work.

What should I do if I see someone sleeping rough?
In England and Wales, you can send an alert to StreetLink with their location and a description, and it will be passed to local outreach teams. If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical help, call 999. A friendly hello and asking what they need also goes a long way.

Why does employment matter for ending homelessness?
A job provides income, routine and confidence, which help people keep a home once they have one. Without steady income, people are at greater risk of returning to the streets.

Where can I buy Change Please coffee?
At our London coffee sites, through our online shop, and for offices and events through our wholesale coffee. 

A route off the streets, one cup at a time

Emergency help gets people through the night. Keeping people off the streets for good takes skills, work and a community that backs them, and that’s something we can all be part of.

So this winter, make your coffee count. Shop Change Please coffee or bring Change Please to your workplace, and help turn a route off the streets into a future.