LOTI Heroes is our way of recognising and honouring individuals, brands and businesses that are doing something positive for the city and the people that live here, whether it’s fighting plastic waste, breaking the cycle of homelessness, tackling food waste or advocating for diversity.
This is the sixth edition of LOTI Heroes, so there are some familiar faces amongst our Top 50 change-makers and pioneers as well as a whole host of fresh ones. As we celebrate this brilliant lot, their stories will hopefully inspire us all to do our bit to give back to the city we all call home.
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Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir
The Common Press came as a very welcome addition to the Shoreditch community, opening in 2021 in response to many queer and Black-owned businesses shutting…
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Max Tobias
Max Tobias is one of the co-founders of The Dusty Knuckle, one of London's best bakeries known for its doorstop sarnies, epic pizza nights and…
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Lewis G. Burton
Established in response to the daily injustices trans+ people face and to provide a space where all trans+ people can freely express themselves, London Trans+…
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Lorraine Copes
Lorraine Copes founded the not-for-profit organisation Be Inclusive Hospitality in response to the underrepresentation of people of colour in the food, drink and hospitality sectors.…
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Jonny Banger
Even if you haven’t realised it, you’ve almost certainly come across a Sports Banger t-shirt. Founder Jonny Banger has been responsible for some of the…
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Aimée Felone
Aimée Felone, the founder of children's publishing company Knights Of, where the aim is to commission writers and illustrators from diverse backgrounds, initially created Round…
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Lydia Bolton
Slow fashion designer Lydia Bolton is tackling textile waste and fighting fast fashion one upcycled garment at a time. She transforms thrifted items and deadstock…
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Matt & Jess Turtle
Co-founders Matt & Jess Turtle are behind the Museum of Homelessness, the first museum of its kind in the UK and one that is led…
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Ali Alzein
You might be able to guess what Bees & Refugees do from the name, but we’ll fill you in any way. Founded by Syrian refugee…
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Angelo van Dyk
We’re all familiar with surplus food and making dishes from leftover or waste ingredients but did you know the same thing applies to wine? Many…
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Anshu Ahuja & Renee Williams
Plastic packaging from takeaway is one of the worst offenders for waste, and with our appetite for Deliveroo and Uber Eats, the problem is only…
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Dan Edelstyn & Hilary Powell
Artists and filmmakers Dan and Hilary are tackling both the climate and cost-of-living crises with their project POWER STATION. It began with the pair spending…
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Daniel Tristao
Crate to Plate is turning former shipping containers into farms capable of growing kilos and kilos of fresh leafy greens, all year round, using hydroponic…
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Douglas McMaster
As the founder of the zero-waste, closed-loop Silo in Hackney Wick, Douglas McMaster is the chef that’s probably done more than anyone else in the…
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Dr Ronx Ikharia
Dr Ronx Ikharia is a trans and non-binary A&E doctor, TV presenter, mentor and activist. Dr Ronx studied medicine at Kings College – paying their…
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Patrick Dumas & Johnno Ransom
After noticing all the untapped potential of rooftop space in London, Patrick and Johnno set up a farm on one in Paddington, with the idea…
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Anna Sebastian
Anna Sebastian knows the hospo industry inside out, having worked in Mayfair nightclubs; managed The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy and Artesian at The Langham;…
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Lisa Donohue
Founded in 2012, KERB has become one of the biggest names in street food, growing from a lunchtime market in King’s Cross to an organisation…
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Alice Moxley
Founded by Alice Moxley during her time on postgraduate social innovation programme Year Here, Pivot is a social enterprise that fuses her love of creating…
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Alice Williams
Luminary Bakery isn't just our local bakery, but one of our favourites in all of London - and not just because they make some of…
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Joseph Galliano-Doig
The Queer Britain charity was co-founded by former Gay Times editor Joseph Galliano-Doig in 2018 with the mission of establishing the UK’s first museum dedicated…
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Ian Solomon-Kawall
Connecting people to nature for social, economic and personal transformation is the philosophy behind May Project Gardens. In 2007 co-founder Ian Solomon-Kawall established a community…
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Pranav Chopra
Trampoline is a cafe with a powerful mission. Not only does it serve expertly-made coffee and delish hot meals, like curries and thalis from Yogi’s…
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Fadi Kattan & akub
The team at Notting Hill restaurant akub have been hosting regular #CookForPalestine supper clubs to raise money for charities like Anera, The Amos Trust and…
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Noor Murad & Sami Tamimi
Chef and author Noor Murad and Palestinian-British chef Sami Tamimi set up Souk el Salam, a peace market, this year to raise money for The…
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Marie Carlisle
Based in the Trellick Tower in North Kensington, Goldfinger is all about turning waste into gold. The social enterprise transforms surplus and reclaimed materials into…
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Simon Boyle
Brigade Bar + Kitchen, housed inside a Grade II-listed former fire station in London Bridge, serves up food cooked over live fire and helps bring…
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Sistah Space
Since 2015, Sistah Space has been providing support that meets the specific needs of African and Caribbean-heritage women affected by domestic and sexual abuse. The…
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Anna Hemmings
Smart Works, run by CEO Anna Hemmings, is a UK-based charity that provides unemployed women with the clothing, coaching and confidence they need to secure…
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Kimberley Coke
Founded in 1998, StreetSmart is a charity that raises money for people experiencing homelessness and the vulnerable by adding a voluntary £1 to diners’ bills…
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Yvette Williams MBE
A resident of North Kensington for over 30 years as well as an experienced leader in advocating for equality, diversity, community engagement and justice -…
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Jodie Cariss
London’s lucky to have not one, not two, but five outposts of Self Space, the world’s first on-demand mental health service in the city. You…
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Harsha L’Acqua
After being inspired by her father’s philanthropic work with Mother Teresa and time spent working for international hotel brands, Harsha L’Acqua combined her dedication to…
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Swiss
Set up by former So Solid Crew member Swiss in response to the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, Black Pound…
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Mette Lykke
Tackling food waste is a huge part of a sustainable future, and it’s an issue that can be tackled in many ways as our list…
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Lucy Vincent
Food Behind Bars is the UK’s first charity dedicated to transforming the food in prisons for the better. The organisation was founded by Lucy Vincent…
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Hugo Worsley
Plastic waste is a huge issue across almost all areas of society but the hospitality industry is a particularly bad offender – despite recycling efforts,…
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Jess Thompson
Migrateful is a charity and social enterprise that supports asylum seekers, refugees and migrants struggling to access employment in the UK due to legal and…
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Home Kitchen London
Soup Kitchen London has been supporting the capital’s homeless community for almost thirty years, and last year the team partnered with Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds…
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Love Not Landfill
Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, so the overconsumption of clothes that are worn only a few times before being discarded…
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Barons Court Project
A social enterprise from the team at the Barons Court Project, HomeLess Made sells products made by artists experiencing homelessness, helping them to make money…
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Ravneet Gill
Ravneet Gill is a pastry chef (most notably for St. JOHN, Llewelyn’s, Black Axe Mangal and Wild by Tart), author, presenter and founder of Countertalk.…
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Emma Lundie
Enfield-based Forty Hall is not only a great vineyard making some superb English wines, but also a social enterprise. As London’s only commercial-scale vineyard they…
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Riaz Phillips
Author, food writer and photographer Riaz Phillips is responsible for opening up a wider conversation about representation and diversity in food media in this country.…
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Razzak Mirjan
Beder FC is a football club that aims to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention. It was started as part of an initiative…
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Michelle Dornelly
Michelle Dornelly set up the Community Food Hub in Hackney in April 2020 when she saw how people in her borough were struggling to access…
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FoodCycle
FoodCycle is a charity that turns surplus food into nutritious meals for low-income families, those affected by homelessness, and those who can’t afford to buy…
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Janet Oganah
Frustrated at the lack of visibility and support that independent brands run by black women and women of colour where getting in the UK (only…
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Tayshan Hayden-Smith
After turning to guerrilla gardening as a therapeutic outlet following the Grenfell Tower fire, Tayshan Hayden-Smith founded Grow to Know, a non-profit organisation that works…
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The Clink Charity
The Clink is one of the most unusual restaurants in London. As well as serving up tasty meals to diners, the aim of the restaurant…
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