Shoreditch is now known as a hub for tech entrepreneurs building the “flat white economy” in the numerous hip coffee shops that we are blessed with. Yes there are lots of coffee shops and all of them have something phenomenal to offer aside from brilliantly brewed mochas. So how did I pick my local?
I would lie if I were not putting proximity on the top of my list; it is the reason I first went through the door. What kept me going outdoes mere efficiency. Paper & Cup is a not-for-profit social enterprise created by the Spitafields Crypt Trust, a locally based charity organization.
They support people recovering from addiction by helping them to get clean and sober, develop self-respect and hope for a much better future. This started out in 1965 in the crypt of of Christ Church Spitalfields in East London. By offering residential accommodation in the Crypt to men who were too sick to carry on drinking and living on the streets, they were given a chance to try an alcohol-free lifestyle. In June 2000, they moved out of the Crypt and into Acorn House on Shoreditch High Street, the site of the new residential recovery hostel <http://www.sct.org.uk/our-services/acorn-house>.
They offer a number of ways for those in recovery to gain valuable work experience and help get their lives back on track.
One of them is Paper & Cup, an innovative social enterprise that offers trainees the chance to serve customers, acquire barista skills and manage budgets to improve their employability. It goes without saying that work is decidedly important when it comes to our social interactions. You can also read or buy second hand books that are on display. You may not run into me though as I am more the take-away type. So on the go, I enjoy daily my non-tech-artsy flat white induldging my caféine addiction and feeling better about it knowing that it can truly help someone out.
Paper & Cup, 18 Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch, London E2 7JP, 0207 739 5358
