Comic Relief: Change Please

Adan, a trained chef from Kingston was living happily in Denmark with his wife until his marriage broke down. He returned to London, severely depressed and with suicidal thoughts. With no real family to turn to he found himself on the streets. He slept at Heathrow airport for a while, then moved onto London Bridge. Adan was destitute - begging for food and eating out of bins. He remained on the streets for 12 years. An act of bravery when Adan rescued a woman from drowning in the Thames, began a chain of events that would eventually change his circumstances. He was given a reward for his actions from the Palace but he was still on the streets. It was only after meeting Cemal (the founder) from Change Please, a social enterprise receiving money raised by Red Nose Day, that his life transformed practically overnight. Change Please aims to improve the life chances and employment experiences of people who are homeless by tapping into the UK’s love of coffee. Within a matter of days Adan was working, with a roof over his head and food in his stomach. The support he received included practical training to become a coffee barista and then a job at a coffee van in Canary Wharf. He was also helped to access crucial services such as counselling. Working with Change Please has enabled Adan to rebuild his life as well as regain his sense of self-worth. He now has hopes for the future and aims to return to his career in catering.