In line with the latest Government advice on social distancing, the charity initiative UK Coffee Week (due to have taken place from 27th April to 3rd May) has been postponed until Autumn.
With the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, and across the world, most of the hospitality market including pubs, bars, eateries, hotels and cafes have been forced to close making this UK Coffee Week an impossibility until it's safe to open your shop doors.
To recap, UK Coffee Week is seven days celebrating our love of coffee. The big idea is to raise much-needed funds for clean water and sanitation in coffee-growing communities around the world. The initiative is called Project Waterfall, and it’s run by the Allegra Foundation.
Since the first Coffee Week back in 2011, more than £750,000 has been raised for Project Waterfall, providing clean water, sanitation and support to coffee growing communities across the world.
And making a difference begins with as little as 5p per cup of coffee.
It's not too late to enter
How many times a day do you turn on the tap? It’s probably something you’ve never thought to count. And so long as you don’t leave it running unnecessarily, it doesn’t matter, either. The point is that in the UK we take access to clean, potable, safe water absolutely for granted. UK Coffee Week is encouraging coffee shops, eateries, pubs and the public to raise money for Project Waterfall. It’s an initiative set up in 2011 to bring clean water, sanitation and education to coffee-growing countries. Thousands of coffee shops – from specialist roasteries to cafés in garden centres - are taking part – and it’s not too late for you to register.
In this 10th year UK Coffee Week hoped to smash its £1 million fundraising target.
Founder Jeffrey Young said: “Our partners and sponsors have been incredibly supportive during this very difficult period for all, and we are working with them to agree a new date.
“In the meantime we remain committed to all our supporters, from coffee shops and restaurants, to roasters and other food-service businesses. We will do everything we can to prioritise their needs and help them through what is a challenging time for everyone.”
During UK Coffee Week thousands of coffee shops and other food and drink outlets across the UK fundraise to help end the water crisis in many areas across the world, by donating a few pence of every coffee sold and holding additional fundraising drives and competitions.
UK Coffee Week’s efforts give coffee lovers across the nation the chance to make their cup matter simply by enjoying their daily coffee.
Where do funds raised during UK Coffee Week go?
Clean water projects in some of the poorest regions where coffee is produced: Ethiopia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam. If you need more incentive to take part than that – head to www.projectwaterfall.org to read more.
What do I need to do?
The reassuring news is that 100% of any donations you make will go straight to projects at Project Waterfall. How you donate or raise funds is up to you. Since UK Coffee Week is now only days away, you may find it simplest to donate a percentage of profits taken during the week – or perhaps 5p, 10p or 15p per cup of coffee sold. If you sell bags of coffee, you could pledge 50p a bag for small bags or a couple of pounds for a 2kg bag of coffee beans. Other fundraising ideas include more social activities such as coffee cocktail nights or latte art classes. And let’s face it, both these are a great test bed for diversifying your coffee shop earnings and attracting new customers.
Alongside all this, you’ll want to get active on social media (like we haven’t nagged you about this before). Any or all of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will be a great way to raise awareness and raise further funds. Make sure you post throughout the week. Use the hashtags #MyCupMatters and #ukcoffeeweek to share the positive message, highlight your coffee business’s involvement and share photos of your coffee creations. You could even run an online competition for followers – just make sure you get them to donate directly as well.
Good luck, enjoy, take pride – and next time you turn on the tap, think of just what clean water means to you and your business.