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UCL student initiative Second Shot Coffee tackles homelessness one espresso at a time

8 July 2015

Second Shot Coffee, a ground breaking initiative, pioneered by Julius Ibrahim, final year BSc Economics student and President of UCLU Enactus Society, is set to make a difference to London's homeless community.

UCL student initiative Second Shot tackles homelessness one espresso at a time

Through the creation of Second Shot Coffee, Julius is launching a new social enterprise that will initially offer three homeless people training, full time employment and a living wage.

It is anticipated that the first cohort of homeless workers will fully reintegrate back into society after a period of six months, at that time they will be replaced by others who are homeless, thereby building a sustainable and lasting legacy for this vulnerable population.

Profit shouldn't be a dirty word

Reflecting upon the social impact of his project, Julius said, "My ambition is that Second Shot Coffee is the start of a real movement of social change. There is a common misconception that social impact and human progress must come at the sacrifice of personal economic benefits.

"We have to abolish the social paradigm that causes people to choose between doing well, and doing good. Profit shouldn't be a dirty word. Achieving it is what makes our impact both sustainable and scalable. I believe we are on the cusp of social enterprise entering the mainstream."

He added, "In London, for every rough sleeper, there are a further 100 hidden homeless people in hostels, and over 1,000 in overcrowded accommodation. Due to the recession, the housing crisis, and the increased cost of living, homelessness has increased by over 300% in the capital alone.

UCL student initiative Second Shot tackles homelessness one espresso at a time

"These are people who are victims of circumstance, those who have weathered the worst during the financial crisis and have had control of their lives taken away from them."

Valuable experience

The successful candidates will undertake work experience within the Intercontinental Hotel Group before taking on their position at Second Shot Coffee.

The new recruits will immediately receive the London living wage of £9.15 per hour. Profits from the café will be reinvested into training opportunities helping the recruit's transition back to their original employment.

Julius concluded, "Any business can be social; Second Shot Coffee is starting a movement. If we can change our mind-set to use profits in a more meaningful way, imagine what can be achieved. We're open to accepting that capital can grow exponentially, well, so can social impact."

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Julius Ibrahim, President of UCLU Enactus Society