Date: 6 March 2008
Employees at Sheffield’s Working Links took
time out for a mammoth coffee break to raise cash for farmers in
the developing world.
The team hosted a coffee morning at their
Chapeltown office to support ActionAid’s 24 Hour Coffee and Tea
Break event. Nationally organisations were urged to hold their own
tea breaks as part of Fairtrade Fortnight to raise awareness of the
poverty endured by small-scale farmers overseas.
Working Links, who specialise in helping
long-term unemployed people into work, served up only Fairtrade
coffee, tea and refreshments at its Sheffield offices during Friday
and staff donated money towards the cause. They also took part in a
Fairtrade quiz to boost the coffers further. All the funds raised
will go directly to ActionAid’s work in re-addressing the unfair
conditions and pay suffered by farmers in the developing world.
“We were aware that many farmers in developing
countries live in poverty due to unfair trade rules and we felt
that we needed to do our bit,” said Claire Booth, who organised the
Working Links’ fundraising activities.
“Fairtrade is about better prices, decent
working conditions, sustainable development and fair terms of trade
for farmers and workers in the developing world. By taking part in
ActionAid’s Coffee and Tea Break we managed to do our bit.”
Just £29, for example, is enough to provide
local women in Guatemala with the equipment they need to run a
community garden and grow vegetables to eat and sell.”
Claire, who is marketing co-ordinator at
Working Links, added: “As an organisation we have an ethical
purchasing policy to ensure that our suppliers are ethically and
socially responsible. Just some of the small ways we do this is by
only purchasing Fairtrade tea and coffee for all our offices and
using paper that is sustainably sourced.”
Ends
For further information please contact:
Nicola Doughty, Press Officer
Tel: 07792 445 512 or email: nicola.doughty@workinglinks.co.uk
Or Claire Booth, Marketing Co-ordinator
Tel: 07976 634 137 or email: claire.booth@workinglinks.co.uk
Notes to editors
- Working Links was founded in 2000 and
operates in almost 100 locations across England, Scotland and
Wales. It is a unique organisation that delivers services to tackle
social exclusion and poverty by helping disadvantaged individuals
and communities.
- The organisation’s belief that employment is
the best route out of poverty has helped 90,000 people back into
the workplace.
- It is a public-private-voluntary partnership
between the Government’s Shareholder Executive, Manpower, Capgemini
and Mission Australia. It delivers effective solutions by working
in partnership with organisations including the Learning and Skills
Council, Jobcentre Plus, Probation Service, One Parent Families and
Daycare Trust.
- Profit is not Working Links’ driving force.
Its shareholders endorse its social purpose and are interested in
how Working Links can create long term value, investing in the
quality of services and the communities where it
operates.
- Working Links helps and supports people who
face significant challenges and barriers such as those who have
been unemployed for a long time to former offenders, lone parents
and older workers. It also works with employers and the prison and
probation services to help prisoners in over 20 institutions.
- By helping the most vulnerable in society to
improve their skills and help them move into jobs with a future,
Working Links can create a greater sense of social inclusion. This
leads to better health, education, reduced crime and brighter
futures.