York Café Helping Homeless Gets £3,000 from Housebuilder

A North Yorkshire housebuilder is putting money where it matters most: helping people get back on their feet.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes donated £3,000 to Chocolate & Co, a York charity café that supports people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and barriers to employment. The café opened just last year in 2024, but it's already making waves in the community.

Chocolate & Co isn't just a place to grab coffee. The charity provides paid employment to people rebuilding their lives, along with help attending appointments, accessing counseling, and settling into new homes.

The numbers tell a powerful story. Since opening, the café has employed 19 people who were previously homeless or struggling. It's helped 12 of those employees move into other jobs. And each week, 45 to 50 people benefit from a pay-it-forward meal scheme that ensures no one goes hungry.

"As a small charity, recognition like this means so much," said Lisa Kerry, project lead at Chocolate & Co. "This donation directly helps people in York rebuild their lives and move forward with confidence and hope."

The funding came through The Barratt Redrow Foundation, which supports charitable projects across the UK. Daniel Smith, managing director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East, said supporting organizations like Chocolate & Co is central to their mission of strengthening the communities where they build homes.

The Ripple Effect

The foundation isn't stopping with this one donation. Since launching, it has committed £20 million to charities across the country, supported over 2,000 different organizations, and directly impacted an estimated 100,000 young people each year. Its fifth anniversary is coming up in 2026.

For Chocolate & Co, the donation means more than money. It's validation that their work matters and that the community sees the value in giving people second chances through employment and support rather than handouts alone.

Every person who walks through those café doors gets more than a job or a meal—they get hope.