The team at Hot Milk Cafe, Sam and Roberta, on their new initiative Curb Coffee Collective

In 2017, we opened Hot Milk Cafe in Bounds Green. There was pretty much nowhere to go locally and we needed a space to hang out.

Seven years later, we have been through it all but we are still here and over the past year and a bit have set up a coffee subscription with the hope of making coffee more than a morning ritual: a vehicle for social change.

We started delivering coffee to locals during the pandemic, with the aim of providing our usual service along with a friendly chat. It is hard to believe it has been four years since that challenging time. We delivered coffee, we took food to hospitals, we made lasagne for people who needed a meal.

As our own children embarked on their educational journey in Haringey, we witnessed first-hand the disparities in access to resources and opportunities facing underprivileged children. Kids in the same class as our children couldn’t afford daily necessities and we used this as our catalyst to set up Curb Coffee Collective.

People were already getting coffee from us but we pivoted and found a way their morning cup of joe could help those most in need. The subscription channels profits into local schools to fund extracurricular activities that enrich the lives of children.

Through people’s subscriptions, Curb helps schools provide valuable resources to students in need and helps level the playing field. Schools sign up to the programme and parents subscribe to a monthly coffee delivery to their door with profit-share going to the school.

We’re thrilled to have four local schools already taking part. Curb Coffee is contributing towards music lessons, sports clubs, art workshops, and science programmes – whatever the school chooses – and it’s all thanks to our subscribers.

Recently, we have been developing different ways to make sure funds go towards the students who need it the most. Some funds have gone into the local tennis club run by James Mott and he’s match-funding with the aim of covering an entire holiday camp for a child who otherwise would never have the chance.

We spend a lot of time with Thomas De Garnham, founder of Fireheart (the local coffee roasters who supply all our beans), who this project has personal significance to as a parent. As we continue to grow and expand our reach, the impact on the community is becoming increasingly evident. A growing number of children who faced barriers to participation in extracurricular activities now have the same opportunities as their classmates. They are learning new skills, building confidence, and forging new friendships. We’ve seen first-hand the transformative power we can have.

To find out more:
Visit curbcoffee.co.uk

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