Costa Coffee is once again investing in communities across Scotland this summer, awarding £12,000 to 13 charities and grassroots organisations through its Community Grants scheme, now in its sixth year.
The initiative, part of the brand’s wider commitment to supporting local communities, enables Costa Coffee team members to nominate causes close to their hearts. The selected organisations receive grants of between £500 and £1,000 to help fund projects that support young people and strengthen community connections.
Among this year’s recipients is The SCC (A Club for the Youth of Scotland), which has been awarded £1,000 following a nomination from Costa Coffee’s Buchanan Galleries store in Glasgow. Founded in 1912, the charity provides inclusive summer camps for young people aged 11 to 18, helping them build confidence, develop new skills and form lasting friendships.
Rhona Martin, Store Manager at the Buchanan Galleries branch and a volunteer with the charity, highlighted the impact of the organisation’s work. She said: “As a volunteer with SCC, I’ve seen first-hand the impact it has on young people’s wellbeing and confidence. It’s incredible to watch campers flourish, build lifelong friendships and enjoy experiences they might not otherwise have access to. Support like the Costa Coffee Community Grant helps make this possible, and it’s a truly rewarding charity to be part of.”
The funding will enable SCC to expand its activities, including sports, arts and crafts, and drama, as well as invest in new equipment to enhance its events programme.
Welcoming the support, Will Brett, SSC Organiser and Development Officer, said: “The money means so much to a smaller charity like ours. We are almost entirely volunteer-run, with many of those volunteers being former campers. As such, receiving this grant matters so much to everyone involved in the charity.”
In Aberdeen, Big Noise Torry has also received a £1,000 grant after being nominated by Costa Coffee’s Beach Boulevard Retail Park store. The organisation delivers a music education and social change programme, working with more than 700 young people each year to build confidence, resilience and teamwork through orchestral music.
The funding will help cover concert and travel costs, enabling more young people to participate in performances and activities.
Lorna Carruthers, Head of Centre at Big Noise Torry, said: “We work with more than 700 young people every year, and the Community Grant from Costa Coffee will help us with the cost of running our programme that supports confidence, resilience and joy in a community that has traditionally faced barriers to creativity.”
Across Scotland, the 13 supported groups form part of a wider UK-wide initiative that has awarded £57,000 to 68 charities and community organisations this year alone. Since launching in 2021, Costa Coffee’s Community Grants scheme has delivered more than £310,000 in funding to hundreds of projects nationwide.
Nick Orrin, Managing Director at Costa Coffee, said: “At Costa Coffee, we believe strong communities are built through connection and supporting one another. Through our Community Grants scheme, we’re proud to invest in local charities and community groups creating positive change and building brighter futures for young people across the country. It’s great to play a small part in helping these groups continue their incredible work nationwide.”
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Beyond its Community Grants scheme, Costa Coffee continues to support communities globally through the Costa Foundation. Since 2007, the foundation has funded more than 100 school projects in coffee-growing regions, improving access to education for over 120,000 children worldwide.
More recently, the Costa Foundation announced its first UK investment of £50,000, supporting Treloar’s School and College and Five Acre Wood School with projects for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
For more information on Costa Coffee’s Community Programme, visit costa.co.uk/sustainability/communities.
