What was the in it together fund?
The In It Together Fund was a pot of money raised by donors throughout the coffee industry to support independent coffee shops within the U.K. to get through the COVID-19 crisis. Spearheaded by our Official Plant-Based Drinks Partner Alpro and supported by UK Coffee Week, we called on the coffee industry to dig deep and get behind their independent coffee shops so we could help as many as possible get through this lockdown period.
We are delighted to say that we provided grants of £2,500 to 80 independent coffee shops across the UK.
It was clear that coffee shops were going to be incredibly affected by the lockdown, so we hoped that this grant would support our fantastic industry through this difficult time. The grant was to be used in any way that the coffee shops saw fit in order to keep them afloat until they could finally re-open.
Following up with some of the successful applicants provided us with wonderful insight in to how the money was spent and how, in many cases, it was truly a lifeline.
Highlights from the testimonials
“I have used the fund to pay for safety equipment for when I open back up, sanitizer stations and its helped pay my rent and monthly bills that I haven’t been able to put on hold, without the help my business wouldn’t be in the same place it is now.”
“We used the grant money to pay some of our suppliers, many of which are local small businesses just like us and struggling to survive during the Covid crisis. The money was greatly appreciated!”
“We were overwhelmed to have our application accepted. We have always prided ourselves on our efforts to help others and wanted to continue but funds were running low. Thanks to the fund we were able to continue to deliver meals to the elderly, vulnerable and key workers either for free or heavily discounted. We also used some of the funds to adapt our service and ensure we were offering the very best we could. We have very much put this money back in to the community.”
“The grant helped us to pay the rent, electricity and water bill for another month. Also it helped us to get ready for take away service – we have purchased cups, lids and other accessories. The main thing was the protective screen that we have placed on the counter and all the necessary social distance signs in order to make our café safe for our staff and customers. We are very grateful for this grant, it was really helpful to move a step forward. I convinced myself once again that coffee shops are so important for our community and we need to make all possible efforts to save them. Thanks a lot for this In It Together Fund.”
Peaberry Coffee House & Kitchen
“Due to securing the grant, we were able to make some necessary changes to the layout of our coffee shop & restaurant in preparation for when we are allowed to re-open. Without the In It Together Fund Grant we wouldn’t have been able to make these changes!
Thank you so much for the support, it really does mean the world to us!”
“We were so grateful to for the In It Together funding, it has helped us so much. As well as settling some outstanding bills with suppliers, we’ve managed to cut our monthly costs down for when we open again by paying off our leased coffee machine and a large electric bill, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”
“Many thanks. We used our grant to help pay our rent. It was a great help and has meant that we are probably now going to be open again sometime around the middle of July.
Without the help of wonderful organisations such as yours we may well have had to close our doors for good.”
“Thank you again for the grants. Without your support, we wouldn’t even think to reopen in July.
We have spent the funds on purchasing bespoke screens, 70% alcohol hand sanitisers & dispensers, signs & tapes for social distancing, masks & gloves for staffs, and a deep cleaning service.”
“With no exaggeration, the In It Together funds have literally saved our business from closure and means we can now continue to support our local economy and community!”
