Head for buck

Last November, the 'Kop voor Nop' initiative was launched. A free cup of coffee or tea, which you can order for yourself or for a fellow citizen who is less well off. The goal is to make cafés more accessible to everyone in our city. A simple gesture with which you ensure that there is just a little more 'togetherness' in society. Cafés such as Warmoes, Buiten bij de Sluis, Venster, SOIA, Studio Sugarsnap and the three locations of Kaffeetaria are already participating.

Jesse Jorg is the founder of this initiative. As a programme maker Impact at RAUM, he tries to develop urban initiatives that ensure more connection in society. His studies in Social Geography come in handy. He also founded his own social enterprise 'We The City'. Jesse was born in Utrecht, and grew up in Houten in a traditional family with one brother and four chinchillas (!).

Tell us more about a Kop voor Nop

“Kop voor Nop originated from a podcast episode of 'Algorithm of the City' that I made together with Bianca Ernst (Hof van Cartesius and Buurman Utrecht) and Ivo Schot (Studio Sun City). In this episode we dive into the world of espresso bar culture in Italy, where you can still order an espresso for €1 – standing at the bar – in almost every bar. It makes everyone feel very welcome in cafés and bars. A stark contrast to the €4,50 cappuccino on many menus in Utrecht cafés. Based on the idea that we want to make cafés and public spaces that everyone can visit more accessible, we brought another idea from Italy here: 'caffè sospeso' or delayed coffee. We thought that was a bit of an unclear name that didn't sound very nice. That's how Jan Pieter (Goede Vrijdag) and I came up with 'Kop voor Nop'.

With a small contribution of €2,50 you can order an extra cup of coffee or tea for fellow citizens who have less to spend. We are working together with cultural institution RAUM, design agency Goede Vrijdag and the Armoedecoalitie.”

This is a message from the newsletter of the Poverty Coalition.