Inclusion & Wellbeing at Chocolate and Co

Aim

Helping people affected by homelessness, addiction and exclusion rebuild confidence, skills and pathways into work.

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/24796073.chocolate-co-wins-press-best-coffee-shop-competition/ 

WHO ARE WE, AND WHAT IS OUR PROJECT ABOUT?

Chocolate & Co is a community café based in York supporting people who have experienced homelessness, addiction, poor mental health, social isolation, poverty, or barriers to employment. We are passionate about creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where people can rebuild confidence, develop life skills, gain work experience and feel part of their community again.

Through volunteering, mentoring, training and supported work experience opportunities, we help people improve financial resilience, build employability skills and move towards greater long-term financial independence. Many of the people we support have faced significant challenges which have impacted their confidence, mental health and ability to access stable employment. Our project provides structured support to help individuals rebuild routines, develop employability skills and progress towards sustainable paid work and independent living.

We support financial wellbeing and resilience in practical ways by helping beneficiaries prepare for employment, including support with work clothing, shoes and travel where needed. Alongside employability support, we offer regular wellbeing 1:1s to identify the challenges people are facing and provide tailored support or referrals.

We work closely with organisations including Christians Against Poverty (CAP), Kyra Women’s Project, local mental health hubs, and CGL to ensure people can access wider financial, emotional and recovery support. Where needed, staff will attend first appointments alongside beneficiaries to reduce anxiety and help people engage confidently with services.

We also believe meaningful use of time and social connection are essential parts of long-term recovery and financial resilience. We encourage people to engage in positive hobbies, community activities and peer support opportunities, including wellbeing groups, local choirs and creative projects. By helping people build healthier routines, confidence and support networks, we reduce the risk of relapse, isolation and homelessness while supporting people to move towards independent and financially stable lives.

Our project fits the Financial Wellbeing and Inclusion funding theme by helping vulnerable people develop the confidence, skills, stability and support networks needed to access employment, maintain housing, improve wellbeing and achieve greater financial independence.

WHY ARE WE CROWDFUNDING?

We are raising money to help keep our community café and support services running for the people who rely on them. Over the last year, demand for support has continued to grow as more people face financial hardship, poverty, social isolation, poor mental health and barriers to employment.

This funding will help us continue providing a safe and supportive environment where people can access practical support, wellbeing activities, mentoring, volunteering opportunities and employability experience. It will allow us to continue supporting individuals who are struggling with poverty, addiction recovery, homelessness, mental health challenges and social exclusion.

Our project directly supports financial wellbeing by helping people build confidence, routines and employability skills which can lead to paid employment and greater long-term financial stability. We support beneficiaries to gain workplace experience, develop communication and digital skills, improve reliability and confidence, and transition into further employment opportunities.

Our support continues even after beneficiaries move into employment. We maintain regular check-ins and work collaboratively with employers to help individuals sustain work, improve confidence and successfully transition into independent living.

For beneficiaries moving out of homelessness into council accommodation, we also run a “Make a House a Home” initiative, helping individuals decorate and personalise their new space so they can feel safe, secure and settled in their home environment.

We also deliver wellbeing outreach sessions, including hot chocolate and wellbeing sessions at Union Terrace Hostel twice a month, helping people feel connected, supported and encouraged to take positive next steps. Through this outreach work we have already supported four beneficiaries from Union Terrace, including one who is now employed with Chocolate & Co and two who have successfully progressed into further employment opportunities with our support. One beneficiary has recently joined us after two years of consistent outreach and relationship-building within the hostel.

Through our “Pay It Forward” initiative, members of the community experiencing hardship are able to access a meal and drink in a safe and welcoming environment. Although this project is currently paused while we secure further funding, we are committed to relaunching it as soon as possible.

OUR IMPACT

As of February 2026, Chocolate & Co has supported:

• 23 beneficiaries through paid supported opportunities

• 12 additional beneficiaries through volunteering and wellbeing support

• 11 beneficiaries into further employment opportunities

• 10 individuals moving from homelessness into accommodation through our “Make a House a Home” support initiative

Alongside this, we continue to provide outreach wellbeing sessions at Union Terrace Hostel twice a month, helping individuals build confidence, access support services and engage with meaningful opportunities within the community.

Demand for our support continues to grow, and we currently have a waiting list for beneficiaries seeking support through our project. This funding will help us continue providing life-changing opportunities for vulnerable people in York while expanding the support we can offer to those currently waiting to engage with our services.

HOW WE’LL SPEND THE MONEY RAISED

The money raised will help us cover the core running costs needed to keep Chocolate & Co operating as a safe, welcoming and supportive community space for vulnerable people in York.

Funding will contribute towards essential café running costs, equipment, utilities, resources and the day-to-day delivery of our support services. It will help us continue providing a stable environment where beneficiaries can access volunteering opportunities, employability support, mentoring, wellbeing support and pathways towards greater independence and financial stability.

By helping us sustain the running of the café, this funding will allow us to continue supporting people experiencing poverty, homelessness, addiction recovery, poor mental health and social isolation while providing opportunities to rebuild confidence, develop skills and progress towards employment and independent living.

As demand for our support continues to grow and we currently have a waiting list for beneficiaries seeking support, this funding will play an important role in helping us maintain and continue delivering our community-based support services.

BENEFICIARY STORY

This is one of our beneficiaries’ journeys of growth.

From the moment J stepped into the café, it was clear she was ready for something different. Those who had known her in years gone by were genuinely surprised to see how well she settled into the café space. Over the past twelve months, we’ve had the privilege of watching her confidence rise, her skills grow, and her sense of self begin to strengthen. Little by little, she allowed herself to trust the process — and to believe that she was capable of more.

In August, we took the next step together and J began a supported transition into further employment with a local employer. With the gentle guidance of our Project Lead, she adapted brilliantly to her new dispatch role. She has learnt computer skills, customer invoicing, and the everyday routines of a workplace very different from anything she has known before.

These new skills have significantly improved her confidence, independence and financial stability, and she is thriving in her new environment. Plans are now in place for J to move fully into this new role in January 2026.

Her journey with Chocolate & Co won’t end there. Our Project Lead will continue supporting her with regular check-ins and ongoing encouragement to help her sustain employment and continue building an independent and financially secure future.

J’s story is exactly why Chocolate & Co exists: to provide purpose, stability, belief and opportunity so people can move forward with confidence and create lasting positive change in their lives.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Make a donation

Every donation helps us continue supporting vulnerable people in York and creating opportunities for positive change, financial stability and long-term independence.

Share our project

Sharing our fundraiser with friends, family and local networks helps us reach more people and build support within the community.

Volunteer with us

If you would like to support our project through volunteering, fundraising or sharing your skills, we would love to hear from you.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 9th July 2026 at 10:48am