Join & Connect

It is a truth, not universal, but acknowledged in Britain at least, that a cup of tea can solve anything. Spending time together over a cuppa sets the world to rights. Maya came to our third anniversary to do just that, with an offer of a good old cup of tea!

How do we build a sustainable world that cares?

This is just one of the questions that run through my mind on a regular basis, and I cannot claim to have all the answers. But I have two. 

Firstly, build companies that care. Companies with a purpose. And social enterprises are just that. We need to accept the fact that business affects the social and environmental world, and vice versa. We can elevate the importance of our society and the world above financial profit, without compromising on quality. Businesses can maximise their positive impact, minimise the negative and start measuring success not in profit but in impact.  

Secondly, foster a society that cares. To do that we need to start turning our cities into communities, understand a little bit more about the people we share our cities with, listen to their stories, struggles and joys. I set up the London Chapter of Tea with Strangers to help make our city feel more like a neighbourhood. You find a host and join them at a café for a chat, about anything, with a group of strangers for two hours. All we want to do is bring people together.

This is not ground breaking; we’re creating something that would have been incredibly unnecessary 20 years ago.

It’s easy to forget the value of a conversation. So I leave you with a question. If you had two hours to sit down with a bunch of strangers, what would you ask them? What would you tell them?

Thank you Maya!