Bethnal Green Social Enterprise Will Open Second Cafe Off Edgware Road

Bethnal Green cafe and social enterprise Second Shot Coffee has secured a site off Edgware Road for a second coffee shop, according to the Evening Standard.

The current coffee shop aims to tackle homelessness in two ways: employing staff referred by Crisis, a leading U.K. homelessness charity, and operating a pay it forward scheme, in which customers pre-buy coffees and meals that can be claimed for free at a later date by anyone in need of them.

The second opening, which will be on Church Street in W2, is currently crowdfunding; the first has to date put seven trainees through its work scheme, before setting them up with barista work elsewhere, breaking the meaningful employment barrier that is one of the most difficult to get past for those from a homeless background. The cafe also offers one of the most extensive rosters of speciality coffee roasters in the capital, usually serving three or four different coffees at a time.

Founder Julius Ibrahim said: “In just that small act of giving, it means that someone living on the streets knows that they have somewhere they can go every day, where there’s a judgement-free environment, and where they can be safe, and they can be seen.”

More soon.