Your morning coffee at David Lloyd Clubs does more than power your workout. Every cup of Change Please coffee served in our Clubrooms fuels a bigger story: one that’s funding jobs, housing and training for people experiencing homelessness. And now, that same story has taken to the streets in the shape of a purple Driving for Change bus.
A lifeline on wheels
Step inside the purple bus and you’ll find more than seats and handrails. Over the past six months, it has been transformed into a safe and supportive space for people experiencing homelessness. A mobile space of care, calm and opportunity, built with the support of our members and teams. On board, visitors can access healthcare checks, dental care, hairdressing and financial advice — the kind of essential services that can be difficult to reach without a permanent address.
The bus is also the result of hundreds of hours of support from our David Lloyd Clubs community. Our teams helped prepare it for launch, from cleaning and kitting out the interiors to running wellbeing workshops for Change Please trainees. And, with our sponsorship, the bus now features a dedicated wellness area: a calm corner where guests can pause, breathe and take part in mindfulness activities. It’s a rare moment of stillness and dignity in otherwise challenging circumstances.
Driving for Change is about meeting people at their most vulnerable and offering the first steps towards rebuilding lives. Thanks to the support of David Lloyd Clubs and its members, we’re able to extend our impact even further.
Cemal Ezel OBE, Founder of Change Please
Five years of impact
The bus is the latest milestone in our five-year partnership with Change Please, a social enterprise that proves coffee really can change lives. Together, we’ve already:
- Raised and invested over £4.5 million into tackling homelessness.
- Trained 65 graduates through Change Please programmes.
- Helped more than 230 people into jobs and housing.
- Created 10 barista roles for Change Please graduates in our Clubs this year.
But our support goes far beyond coffee. Across our Clubs and teams we:
- Fundraise through events and challenges, from abseiling Twickenham Stadium to family shows in Manchester.
- Volunteer hundreds of hours running wellbeing workshops and preparing the Driving for Change buses.
- Mentor trainees with CV support, mock interviews and professional development.
- Donate clothing, toiletries, welcome packs and even two mobile coffee vans to support trainees on their journey.
Each of these efforts helps people move from crisis to confidence, building brighter futures every step of the way.
We’re incredibly proud to be in partnership with Change Please, and to see this bus brought to life is a very special milestone. It represents everything our collaboration stands for — dignity, opportunity and meaningful change for people experiencing homelessness.
Russell Barnes, CEO, David Lloyd Clubs
Hear from the people behind it
Want to know more about the story of Driving for Change? Watch Russell Barnes, CEO of David Lloyd Clubs, and Cemal Ezel OBE, founder of Change Please, explain how this unique partnership is transforming lives.
From coffee to careers
This year alone, we’ve recruited 10 graduates from the Change Please programme to work in our Clubs across the UK and Europe, from London and Scotland to Dublin. For us, it’s about creating genuine employment opportunities that last, not just short-term fixes.
And with the Driving for Change bus now reaching people directly on the streets of London, the impact of every cappuccino, latte and flat white stretches even further.
Together, we’re driving change
The purple bus is more than a vehicle. It’s a symbol of what happens when businesses and social enterprises come together with a shared mission. From your morning coffee to our teams’ fundraising challenges, every act of support makes a difference.
At David Lloyd Clubs, we’re proud to be part of this journey. Because together, we’re not just brewing coffee. We’re changing lives.
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