Sheffield's 200 Degrees Coffee shop giving out free drinks in exchange for act of kindness today

200 Degrees Coffee in Division Street is inviting customers and members of the public to donate new, unused and unopened hygiene items in exchange for a free cup of coffee as part of its annual Swap Shop initiative. The event will take place for one day only on Tuesday, December 6, across all of the company’s 18 coffee shops nationwide – and items will be donated to Nottingham charity Switch Up, which works to help steer youngsters away from criminality and was recently announced as its new charity partner.

Donated items can include deodorant, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, toilet roll, nappies and baby products, washing powder, makeup, perfume, sanitary products and everyday household cleaning products. The coffee roasters is also reaching out to wholesale customers and businesses to get involved in the initiative. Coffee sacks will be sent to those who are taking part in order to collect the hygiene products, these will be collected by 200 Degrees the week following the event. The items will be exchanged for coffee beans for wholesale customers or cups of coffee served in the shops.

CEO Rob Darby said: “The festive season is all about celebrating with friends and family, but with the current cost-of-living-crisis, there are sadly thousands of families who are facing challenging times and struggling to afford essential, everyday items. This year we have decided to donate all products to Switch Up. As our new charity partner, we want to provide our utmost support to help as many local people as we can.

“The Swap Shop is a great opportunity for us to make a small but positive difference to those who need it most and give something back to our customers in exchange for their kindness.”

Marcellus Baz, founder and chief executive officer of Switch Up, said: “The support of 200 Degrees, through their amazing Swap Shop initiative, made a significant difference to the help we could provide to vulnerable families last Christmas. This year is set to be even bigger; the last thing disadvantaged families will buy is toiletry products as food and energy will always take preference, therefore this partnership with 200 degrees is invaluable. The addition of the donations, that will be made through the Switch Up coffee, will help us make an even bigger impact.”