Fat Macy's

Who we are

Fat Macy’s is a charity and social enterprise which supports individuals experiencing homelessness towards lasting and secure employment, resettlement, and overall better personal wellbeing.

We deliver on this mission through our Milestone Programme, a 200-hours hospitality based skills and training initiative which consists of the Training Academy (50 hours) and real-life work experience (150 hours). The first 50 hours involve embedding core skills in hospitality (for example, baking and barista training) and employability (for example, CV writing and professional communication). These skills are then further developed and strengthened through 150 hours of on-the-job work experience. These work placements are completed in our own social enterprise restaurant, Sohaila, or with an external delivery partner.

On graduation from the Milestone Programme, beneficiaries receive access to a £1,500 Housing Deposit Award enabling a safe and sustainable transition into the private rental sector, and long-term, tailored employability, resettlement, and wellbeing support.

Operating across all of London, we work in communities facing some of the highest levels of poverty and housing insecurity. For nearly a decade now, we have refined an approach rooted in dignity, education and social justice, blending social enterprise, skills development and long-term, person-centred support to create lasting transformation for those experiencing social and economic disadvantage.

Our culture and values

We’re a dynamic team working across the social enterprise. All team members uphold our Fat Macy’s values:

We strive for equity

Every person has different life experiences and access to opportunities. We recognise this imbalance as a team, both in wider society and in our organisation. Striving for equity means ensuring that extra support is given to those who have been under-supported in the past, and welcoming people as equals no matter their role, area of work, or background.

We focus on strengths

We focus on an individual’s strengths. When working with team members and trainees, we look for abilities, talents, resources and resilience that can be harnessed for personal development. In particular we help trainees to find and use often overlooked strengths to address challenges they face. As an organisation we support everyone to grow by building on their capabilities.

We cultivate empathy

Empathy plays a central role not just in supporting trainees but in how we work as a team. We try to put ourselves in other people’s shoes to make better decisions and build better relationships both at work and in life. We seek to understand how others feel in difficult situations and be mindful of the added pressures and struggles others may face. Cultivating empathy doesn’t mean we shy away from hard conversations. We give fair and honest feedback when it’s required, but always deliver it with the other person’s feelings in mind.

We empower others

We believe that a key part of motivation is having agency. In the team we strive for a culture of trust and encourage people to act autonomously, with appropriate support and direction, to meet the goals of the organisation. With trainees, we empower them to take charge of their future, career and tenancy so they can create positive change for themselves. Anyone in the organisation can have a say in how Fat Macy’s operates.

We’re continually improving

We are constantly learning as a team and we use data and experience to guide our business and programme decisions. We regularly reflect on what works and what doesn’t, rather than following the status quo. We use our size to our advantage to stay nimble and adapt quickly. When the evidence supports it, we’re not afraid to make bold, decisive changes in order to do better for our trainees, as a charity and as a business.