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For the last year, Sussex Uni Food has been working in partnership with Social Impact Coffee to help raise money for local charities chosen by students.

On Wednesday 13 April, it was our pleasure to present cheques for £660.22 to our two chosen charities for 2025-26, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and Surfers Against Sewage.

Anyone who has purchased a coffee at Arts Piazza Café in the last year has helped contribute to this fantastic sum of money. Through the partnership with Social Impact coffee, 65% of the profit from the coffee beans we purchase goes directly to charity, ensuring that cup of coffee sold has a lasting local impact.

Making a meaningful difference to local charities

The money will make a real difference for our chosen charities.

Julie Billings, Community Engagement Manager at Rockinghorse, who spoke at the presentation event, said, “we are thrilled to be the beneficiary of the partnership between Social Impact Coffee and the University of Sussex. These vital funds will continue to support our critical Wellbeing Service at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, helping children and families with their mental health during hospital treatment. We're enormously grateful to everyone at the University of Sussex for their incredible fundraising efforts.”

The partnership between Sussex Uni Food and Social Impact Coffee was the first of its kind at a University – and has helped to establish a model that is now being replicated elsewhere.

“Working with Sussex is something we are incredibly proud of,” said Adrian Evans, Founder of Social Impact Coffee. “This partnership is about far more than coffee — it’s about creating opportunities, supporting important causes chosen by the students and faculty, and proving that businesses can be commercially successful while making a genuine social impact.”

What’s next

Over the past twelve months, Arts Piazza café customers have been voting for the charities they’d like to support for the next academic year, placing coffee beans in jars representing various local charities. We'll be announcing the results of the vote in September, so stay tuned - and keep drinking coffee from the Arts Piazza Café!

Pictured (l-r): Adrian Evans, Founder, Social Impact Coffee; Mark Lawrence, Contract Director, Sussex Uni Food; Julie Billings, Community Engagement Manager, Rockinghorse Children's Charity; Sandra Juan-Delgado, Social Impact and Sustainability Manager, Sussex Uni Food; Liz De Cort, Senior Catering Services Manager