Investec Awards £60,000 Grant to East London Coffee Enterprise Well Grounded
Financial services firm Investec has granted £60,000 to social enterprise Well Grounded, which is based in East London and plans to generate 10,000 career opportunities in the coffee industry within the coming ten years. This significant funding boost comes as unemployment reached its highest rate in nearly five years at the end of 2025, with young people particularly affected by a jobs crisis driven by rising employment costs.
Specialty Coffee Training Programs for Jobseekers
Well Grounded operates specialty coffee training programs designed for jobseekers and has successfully placed over 1,000 individuals into the coffee industry since its inception. The enterprise was originally launched in 2015 with a £12,000 award from Investec and now conducts training programs in London, Bristol, and Leeds.
Since its creation, the 1,000 participants who have undergone training with Well Grounded have completed more than 18,500 work placement hours through the program's network of 140 partner employers. The training initiatives have demonstrated impressive outcomes, with nine in ten (91 percent) of enrolled trainees obtaining industry-recognized qualifications.
Strong Employment and Training Outcomes
More than three-quarters (77 percent) of Well Grounded's trainees are currently engaged in work, education, or further training, highlighting the program's effectiveness in fostering career development. Investec selected Well Grounded for its Beyond Business funding after a thorough evaluation process that assessed applicants based on social impact, financial sustainability, scalability, and leadership quality.
Razia Nizamuddin, who leads the Investec Beyond Business program, commented: "Well Grounded demonstrated the strongest combination of proven impact, commercial discipline, and credible scaling potential. We were particularly impressed by the strength of the leadership team, their diversified income model, and the opportunity to expand their model nationally, beyond London, Bristol, and Leeds."
Funding to Accelerate Growth and Impact
Eve Wagg, chief executive of Well Grounded, emphasized that the funding will enable the enterprise to accelerate progress toward its ambitious target of reaching 10,000 people within the next decade. She stated: "The funding means a great deal to us – it demonstrates that you can build a financially sustainable, scalable initiative that gives back to society. We set up Well Grounded to support those who are not in education, employment, or training to provide a safe space for people to learn, gain skills, and ultimately provide a supportive pathway into the coffee industry."
This grant represents a strategic investment in addressing unemployment challenges while fostering skills development in the growing specialty coffee sector, positioning Well Grounded for national expansion and increased social impact.
