Businesses that support charitable aims in London

The Bike Project Shop is a cycling charity shop – buy a refurbished bike here to support The Bike Project's work donating refurbished bikes to refugees and asylum seekers in London and Birmingham. As well as purchasing a new ride, you can buy cycling clothing and accessories or arrange bike servicing.

One of London's most curious shopping experiences is found at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies. This is a charity shop for the Ministry of Stories, which helps local young people to grow in confidence and imagination through writing. This traditional store is packed with unique gifts and spooky edibles that'll delight adults and children.

Wherever you are in London there's a good chance that you'll find charity shops nearby, even in central London. The city is home to thousands of diverse shops selling pre-loved items at affordable prices whilst supporting a range of charities including the big, the small, the local, and the international. Get ready to rummage and uncover a bargain or a unique fashion find in a charity shop near you.

There are multiple branches of Traid, a shop for second-hand and vintage fashion. These bold spots are well-known for their imaginative window displays. In-store you'll find fashion, linens, accessories, and homewares for men, women, and children. You can also donate unwanted items. The charity works to reduce fashion waste and improve practices and conditions across the textile industry.

Modern department store Wolf & Badger is committed to sustainability. This trendy shop sources fashion, accessories, and homewares from ethical independent brands around the world. It also donates at least 1% of sales to a charity partner and works to reduce its carbon footprint. The store contains a wide choice of items plus a café, deli, and wine market.

Retromania specialises in fab vintage and retro clothing, including pieces from iconic designers. As well as bagging yourself a stylish new (for you) outfit when you shop here, you'll be giving to a good cause. All of the shop's profits go towards the FARA Foundation, supporting Ukrainian refugees crossing into Romania.

Established over forty years ago in the bustling heart of the city, Camden Garden Centre operates as a charitable organisation whose key mission is to provide training and job opportunities to individuals facing challenges in the labour market. You can buy a range of top-quality indoor and outdoor plants, pots and planters, gardening tools, outdoor furniture, and other gardening necessities here, supporting the garden centre's work.

Located in Stoke Newington, Revere the Residency is a charming local homewares and lifestyle store. It's fab for treating yourself or finding the ideal gift. The difference is that this place is run by disabled people and parents of disabled children, working with charities and partners to provide opportunities. In-store you'll find quirky greetings cards, art prints, ceramics, accessories, and soft furnishings. 

Based in North London, The Toy Project recycles unwanted toys by donating them to kids in the UK and internationally. It also supports initiatives like funding toy and book libraries for children in London. Visit the shop near Archway to buy secondhand toys and books that are in good condition and sold at a reasonable price.

Modern coffee shop and roasters Old Spike has a few locations in the capital. This business is a social enterprise, providing training to people affected by homelessness whilst also serving up great coffee. At these on-trend venues you can enjoy a hot drink, buy beans, or get a coffee subscription so you're always happily caffeinated.

Located right next to Camden Road station, Hidden Coffee is a popular local spot where service is friendly and fun. The café offers training and work opportunities to people with disabilities and special needs. The venue has an airy and rustic feel and serves coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and bottles of wine to take home.

Trampoline Café opened in 2022 and is located in Islington. It's a bright and vibrant venue set across two floors and it has quickly made an impact. This café gives back by providing training and employment for refugees. Stop by for a hot or cold drink or something to eat like pastries, soup, or a sandwich.

215 Hackney is a cosy coffee shop in Stoke Newington, serving locally-sourced coffee and food with a Middle Eastern influence. Many ingredients come from neighbouring businesses in the area. Visiting this venue does good too - it donates 20% of its profits to Warchild, supporting children affected by war around the world.

Neal Street Espresso employs baristas previously affected by crime and addiction, giving them a second chance through training, support, and job opportunities. Carefully-sourced single origin coffee is served at this contemporary and buzzy coffee bar. There's also a monthly-changing guest filter blend and treats like banana bread, toasties, and cake.

Fair Shot has a sleek contemporary look and serves coffee, sweet and savoury brunch dishes, and salads, sandwiches, and sweet treats from the counter. This café offers support for individuals with learning disabilities by providing them with training and employment opportunities. Expect friendly service at this stylish spot.

Stylish Curators Coffee Studio is a compact coffee shop with a strong monochrome look. In this petite and modern space you can enjoy espresso drinks and filter coffee, plus sandwiches, toasties, cakes, and pastries. The venue does good too by offering training and employment to adults with learning disabilities and special needs.

You can support refugees by visiting Haven Coffee. This café and caterers is based in Walthamstow, offering barista training for refugees and putting on art events with refugee artists designed to challenge false narratives. Organic fair trade coffee is served at this vibrant and discreet venue, as well as fresh pastries. You can also get a coffee subscription here.

Redemption Roasters operates a number of coffee shops in London. The business strives to reduce re-offending rates by working with offenders to produce its coffee, providing skills and employment both in and out of prison. Each café has its own distinctive style, serving gourmet coffee, pastries, and more substantial food. 

Panas Gurkha is a popular spot in South East London for authentic Nepalese cooking. The dining room is simple and the restaurant also offers catering and takeaways. On the menu there are a range of traditional dishes, including lots of veggie options. During the pandemic the restaurant donated thousands of meals to hungry Londoners and runs its own charity that delivers humanitarian aid in Nepal and Ukraine.

If gourmet sandwiches, rich and warming soup, and sourdough pizza sound good to you, you'll want to check out The Dusty Knuckle Bakery. These airy and modern spots don't just specialise in delicious food. The bakery offers on-the-job training and mentorship to young people who are at risk of long-term criminality or unemployment.

Eat pizza for a good cause at Crust Bros. These restaurants are bold and modern, with a few locations around town. A tree gets planted for every pizza ordered here, and so far over 80,000 have been planted, doing good for the planet as well as your stomach. At this restaurant you can craft your own perfect pizza with a choice of sauce and toppings.

All-day dining destination The Brigade has a warm atmosphere. Live-fire cooking is a speciality here and the menu focuses on classic British recipes, including dishes for kids. Cocktails are served too. The restaurant supports the work of its charity partner by donating a portion of every bill. The money pays for work experience and tailored support for vulnerable people.

Popular Deptford restaurant Eat Vietnam Bar B Grill serves tasty traditional dishes but also gives something back. Ten percent of the restaurant's tips are donated to charitable causes in Vietnam, so be generous. The venue is cosy and serves vibrant classic dishes like summer rolls, pho, and wok-fried recipes. Kids' meals are available too.

You can't miss House of Cinn if you're a cinnamon bun fanatic. This bold and modern social enterprise serves indulgent and aesthetically pleasing iced pastries in a range of tempting flavours. Getting your cinnamon rolls here does good too – the bakery invests around 65% of profits into social causes, partnering with charities to provide technology to disadvantaged groups.

Thunderbird Fried Chicken serves award-winning fast food at locations around the city. The group also partners with homelessness charity Centrepoint, making a donation from every sale of a Thunderbun burger to support homeless young people in the capital. The restaurant serves fried chicken burgers, wings, and strips, plus veggie options, desserts, and kids' food.

The Clink provides Londoners with a unique dining experience. Operated by prison charity The Clink Charity, the restaurant is based at HMP Brixton and serves gourmet meals that are cooked and served by prisoners. Prisoners also make some of the furniture you see in the elegant restaurant. Refined dishes are served for lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.

You need a membership to hang out at trendy late-night café-bar The Thirsty Scholar, but anyone can join for free. The slick venue has neon signs, tiles, and a cosy outdoor area. Profits go to International Students' House to support the education of students worldwide. Visit for a coffee, alcoholic drink, or tempting food like pizza, baguettes, nachos, and burgers.

Well Kneaded specialises in mouthwatering sourdough pizzas but it's also a social enterprise. This award-winning business focuses on sustainability and also offers training and opportunities to disadvantaged young people. Expect a farm-to-table menu of pizza and salads, as well as the chance to join a pizza-making workshop for adults or kids.

Shoreditch restaurant and wine bar Sohaila specialises in Lebanese and Middle Eastern small plates and a curated selection of low-intervention wines. This on-trend restaurant is run by social enterprise Fat Macy's, offering support and work experience in the restaurant to help Londoners living in temporary accommodation move into a long-term home.

In Brixton you'll find Café Van Gogh, a plant-based eatery with creative interiors and an appealing garden too. This non-profit social enterprise provides on-the-job training and employment for adults with learning difficulties and mental health problems and strives to be a zero-waste venue. Global vegan dishes are on the menu including a traditional roast on Sundays.

Run by Shoreditch Trust, Waterhouse Restaurant offers idyllic canalside meals in East London. Indoor and outdoor tables are available. This elegant destination supports disadvantaged local young people by training them as chefs. On the seasonal menu there are sandwiches, hot dishes, lunch boxes, and hot and cold drinks. Catering is available too.

Dishoom is one of London's most sought-after places for Indian food and you can feel confident that dining here does good too. The restaurant group works with charity partners to donate meals to children who would otherwise go hungry in the UK and India. In 2023 it announced it had donated 15 million meals.

Head to Luminary Bakery for delicious bakes from a business that supports women. These bakeries empower women from disadvantaged groups with training and skills. Stop in at one of these bright, homey, and contemporary places for a hot drink and a sweet treat or order brownies to be delivered through your letterbox.

The Sound Lounge is a vibrant community live music hub and restaurant that aims to do good for people and the planet. It's the first grassroots music venue in the UK to be certified carbon neutral. It's a non-profit social enterprise that re-invests in the local community through projects, workshops, and training for those living with disadvantages. To top it off, even the kitchen is fully vegan.

With GoodGym you can give something back whilst working on your fitness. Active in areas throughout London, members walk, run, or cycle to support community projects or visit isolated older people. Help an older person with tasks or pay a social visit, or alternatively join a group to work together on community jobs like planting trees or volunteering at a food bank.

Yogahome in Stoke Newington is a yoga studio and charitable organisation. A variety of yoga, meditation, and pilates sessions are offered here, with profits used to provide free classes to schools and disadvantaged groups. These yoga classes are suitable for all levels and on-demand online classes are available too.

Based in Holloway, MahaDevi Yoga Centre is considered one of London's leading yoga centres. Traditional hatha yoga is taught in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Sessions are suited to all levels. Half of the cost of each class booking is used to provide therapeutic yoga to children with special needs.

Well-established Diesel Gym is a non-profit organisation and one of London's top MMA gyms. There are plenty of ways to train including MMA, wrestling, and Muay Thai, with group and personal training offered. It's a welcoming and supportive space that cares about community and invests its profits into community projects locally in Newham.

Floating hotel Good Hotel is conveniently-located for access to ExCeL London, offering modern rooms with minimalist Dutch design and fab views. There's a sustainable vegetarian and vegan restaurant here too. The hotel works to do good as well, offering opportunities to the long-term unemployed and investing its profits into communities both locally and further afield thanks to its own global foundation.

Based in a charming Victorian townhouse that's Grade II listed, Georgian House Hotel is a boutique space in Pimlico with a variety of well-designed room types available. Magical experiences are available too in the form of afternoon tea, special themed rooms, and potion-making experiences. The hotel partners with charities to provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities.