You may have been aware that the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning campaign was run again very successfully this year by the Macmillan Cancer Support team. All over the country, coffee mornings were held, big and small, to raise funds for the charity. Although the charity received donations from a series of events around September and October, the official date for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning was 30 September.
Although this date has now passed, there is still a great enthusiasm for the charity and coffee mornings continue to support the good work it does. For example, a coffee morning has been planned for a little later in the month by Diane and Peter Wheatley. They are apparently holding the event at a pub called the Red Lion in West Deeping.
There is much to entice and entertain visitors – as well as the obvious beverages and cakes to nibble on, stalls will also make gifts and treats available (especially useful in the run up to Christmas), including items such as Christmas cards and jewellery. There will also be a raffle at the event. The money raised from the coffee morning will go to the Stamford and Peterborough branch of the organisation.
This is indeed a great cause. Did you realise that it is said that a third of us will develop cancer during our lifetimes? Victims and also their families would benefit from the support of the Macmillan Cancer Support organisation – nurses and therapists would help during the treatment and there are specialists at hand to help to explain the benefits for cancer sufferers too.
Posted by Matt on the 21st November 2011
When you’re away from home, there are many little things that you miss. Home cooking, family and friends, a few of your little daily treats, for example. However, for the US troops who are overseas, the reports are that coffee is one of the things which they love to receive when away from home.
In Milford in the United States, for example, the families at Milford Cooperative School are organising packages to send to the troops in the Middle East and the have called their project ‘Operation Cup of Joe.’ These packages include items such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate. They are relatively small items, but they mean a lot to those who do not have regular access to them and are living temporarily in another country and culture. It is said that present packages of this kind are particularly important during holiday seasons, when home-sickness can be greatest.
According to quotes from one of the organisers of the project, she had been told that ‘coffee is king.’
In return, one of the military men visited the school to talk to the pupils about his experiences abroad in places such as Kuwait, Spain and Afghanistan.
Donations are being collected until the middle of the month and after that cut off date, the packages will be shipped off to the troops to raise their spirits and remind them that people at home are thinking about them and making it possible to sip on a decent cup of coffee.
Posted by Dennis on the 18th November 2011
The first words that spring to mind when you hear the name ‘Hugh Jackman’ may be along the lines of ‘heart-throb’ or ‘Wolverine’ or ‘filmstar.’ The words ‘ charity’ and ‘coffee’ may not be on the tip of your tongue. However, after reading this article, perhaps this will change.
Hugh Jackman has just launched a new company which sells tea and coffee, named Laughing Man Coffee & Tea. However, it is a company with a difference: quoting reports of Jackman himself at ABC Kitchen, the idea is to make money and then to ‘give it away.’
Why?
Because the Laughing Man Coffee & Tea organisation is a charitable endeavour.
Rumour has it that Jackman was inspired when he visited Ethiopia as the World Vision Ambassador. During his trip, he got his hands dirty and planted a coffee tree or two with one of the local coffee farmers. The particular farmer that caught his attention is called Dukale – a man who is trying hard to support his family, including his five children, via the coffee industry.
The Laughing Man Coffee & Tea company will provide a good coffee product but at the same time will offer some support and aid to the farmers and coffee growers and their communities. Of course, in these uncertain economic times, the coffee shops themselves will also offer jobs to those working in them. All in all, everyone is a winner with this endeavour!
Posted by Phil on the 17th November 2011
It seems that Peter Andre has various strings to his bow. As well as his career as a singer-songwriter and a personality on television, plus his well-documented personal life, it appears that Peter Andre has time to launch other ventures too.
What has he been up to? You may have read in the news that he expressed an interest in starting his own coffee shop earlier in the year. Now, Peter Andre’s coffee shop dream has become a reality.
The new venture for the celebrity is named the New York Coffee Club and it is based in East Grinstead. Peter Andre was there for the opening and also dressed up in the brand uniform. According to reported quotes from his agent, this opening has been on the cards for a while – his client loves coffee and has been planning the coffee shop for ‘years.’
Of course, Andre has had a chequered background of many careers to date. He was brought up in Australia and during his music career has had 4 albums in Britain which have reached the top 10 and has also had 10 singles in the top ten.
He also became well-known for his relationship with Katie Price, aka Jordan, after he starred with her in the reality TV series, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! He subsequently married and divorced Price after having a family with her, together with various business ventures such as a duet album.
Now he has ventured into the world of coffee making – we wish him well.
Posted by Phil on the 16th November 2011
Make a note in your diary – if you are free and can fly over to Ethiopia between 16-18 February 2012 and you like coffee, you’re in for a treat. What’s going down? There is to be the ninth African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition in the country.
The event was announced by the Eastern African Coffees Association and will take place in Addis Ababa. This association is eleven years old and is a not-for-profit organisation which also prides itself in having no particular political bent either. Rather, it is a regional association, which offers representation to the coffee stakeholders of various member countries, of which Ethiopia is one.
There is a special bond – as you may well know – between Ethiopia and coffee. As well as producing some delicious blends, it is also said to be the birthplace of coffee, or at least the place where it was, allegedly, first discovered. This fact is used as the theme for the exhibition, entitled "Ethiopia: the legendary land of coffee. Where it all began."
Hopefully, a thousand participants will get involved in the exhibition – from coffee suppliers to traders – and will put the spotlight on Ethiopian coffee, showcasing its wares on a stage which will have the attention of the international coffee industry. Certainly, it is hoped that the Ethiopians will showcase their coffee products. The African nation can show that it is just as much a key international player in the coffee industry now as it was at ‘when it all began.’
Posted by Matt on the 15th November 2011
There has been a recent survey by Canstar Blue in assessing coffee consumption and the findings which have received attention in the press are rather surprising. Why? What is so unusual about the results of this survey of coffee machines?
In simple terms, it seems that the men of New Zealand are much more partial to partake in coffee-drinking than their female counterparts in the country. The difference is actually rather striking. Forty percent of men, it was discovered, consume more than five cups of coffee on a daily basis.
According to the survey, only 17% of women consume such a quantity. These results indicate that men in the country imbibe over twice the amount of women each day. That is quite a differential!
It was also shown that Christchurch has a particularly soft spot for coffee. The survey showed that 35% of the locals drank over five cups. In Wellington, however, this figure dropped to 13% on a daily basis.
It seems that overall, there is a huge Kiwi support of coffee. When asked how much they were likely to spend on a coffee machine, again the population gave strong indications that they put their money where their mouth is. Almost one fifth (18%) said that they had spent over $1,000 on a coffee machine and 28% of the coffee lovers who lived in the capital were most likely to purchase top models.
It seems that ethics is also taken into consideration when deciding which coffee to buy. A hefty 40% said that they prioritised Fairtrade Coffee.
Photo: limaoscarjuliet
Posted by Phil on the 14th November 2011
You may have noticed that in September the world went a little bit coffee morning crazy. Across the length and breadth of Britain, well-meaning and dedicated souls were organising coffee morning after coffee morning, big and small, to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. The campaign was dubbed the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and this has become something of a tradition for the charity. Significant funds are raised during the campaign.
This year was no different. York has just published their results and they should hold their heads high in terms of the sums generated. It has been disclosed that the county raised almost £15,000 for the good cause. It is said that the money is not all in yet either – more is to come. Estimates suggest that this could amount to a further £3,500.
According to the reports, almost 120 coffee mornings took place on the 30 September.
The cancer charity is, it would appear, close to many people’s hearts. There are not many people whose lives have been untouched by cancer and the charity aims to give support to those in their hour of need, together with those loved ones who are also affected. There are endless accounts of the value of this service from Macmillan Cancer Support – and many of those who have benefitted from this kind of help are motivated to go on and raise funds for the organisation to help others also benefit in this way in the future.
Posted by Dennis on the 11th November 2011
Heather Bird has made it a mission in her life to help the charity Climb to raise funds. Why? It was triggered when her daughter was diagnosed with a condition some 16 years ago and she wanted to help out.
Climb is a national charity which specialises in helping those of all ages – youngsters, adults and families – who suffer or are affected by a metabolic disease. The organisation has a leading UK information service to help advise and educate those who need assistance or explanations about the disorder. The National Information Centre for Metabolic Diseases is designed especially for this purpose. It also works to provide information to professionals on the subject. In addition, Climb invests some of its funds in research programmes to see how the disease can be treated and to help to provide medical services too.
Mrs Bird wants to help to raise funds and recently held a coffee morning in the Ketton Sports Club. The event was a wonderful success and she and her team raised some £500 for the Climb cause. As well as serving coffee, there were other traditional coffee morning ingredients too. For example, there was a bring and buy sale to help the locals to recycle their unwanted goods for a good cause. Together with her granddaughter, Mrs Bird also had a ‘name the doll competition’ to raise money as visitors tried to guess the name of the toy.
The ongoing efforts of those who support the charity are very much welcomed and applauded.
Posted by Dennis on the 10th November 2011
When you think about Haiti, what springs to mind? Perhaps the tropical Caribbean climate? Or the Haitian cuisine? Or even the devastation of the earthquake to affect the country last year? However, the odds are that ‘coffee’ is not the first word at the tip of your tongue. But did you realise that it is in fact a significant resource of the country?
Once upon a time, the industry was a flourishing one, but now various factors have put the proverbial spoke in the works. The combination of deforestation, natural crises and political problems have all had a negative effect on the coffee industry of Haiti. In fact, for a while, farmers found that it was more lucrative for them to cut down their trees and use them for charcoal, rather than invest in coffee crops.
However, things are a-changing.
Foreign support has aided the new focus on the coffee industry in the country and farmers are giving their attention once more to the production of the coffee bean. Haitian coffee, for example Kafe Kreyol, is becoming something of a ‘hot commodity’ according to reports.
The Belle Anse area is a strong coffee growing area of the country, located in the south east of Haiti in the mountain valley. Many of the farmers are small and family-based affairs, the owners of which are slowly coming to understand the potential of the coffee industry.
Italy and Japan are said to be countries that particularly enjoy the exported product. Given the problems of Haiti over the past years, let’s hope that the recovery is a speedy and long-lasting one.
Posted by Matt on the 9th November 2011
The people of Ripon are doing their best for the brave men and women who volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. There is to be a November coffee morning in the town hall, to raise funds for the organisation. It is intended to be a festive event and visitors will be able to buy their Christmas cards, some gifts, together with some delicious cakes and other foodstuffs from the local stalls. In time-honoured tradition, there will also be a tombola at the coffee morning.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is one of the best-loved organisations in the UK. It is a charity which works to save lives at sea. The RNLI provides round the clock lifeboat search and rescue services for our country. In addition, the charity also offers a lifeguard service on beaches during the busiest seasons.
Did you realise that many of the people who provide these services, which can be very dangerous at times, are largely volunteers? People give their time and energy freely to help those in need. In fact, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has over 40,000 volunteers, who support the work of the charity and provide services on a 24 hour basis.
As well as providing search, rescue and lifeguard services, the charity also works to promote safety at sea and on the beach.
For this reason, it is an organisation that is close to the hearts of many Brits and we hope that the coffee morning later in the month goes well and provides much-needed funds.
Photo: RNLI
Posted by Matt on the 8th November 2011
