Starbucks Big Cow Project raises £40,000 for charity
The nationwide fundraising campaign to provide poor African farmers with life-changing cows and farming support raised £40,000 for international development charity, Send a Cow. As an added bonus, this sum will be matched pound for pound by the UK government, taking the total figure to £80,000.
Over 700 Starbucks stores from across the UK and Ireland took part in the Big Cow Project last October raising the equivalent of 61 dairy cows to support Send a Cow’s work with smallholder farmers in rural Rwanda, while the matched funding will provide support and training for poor farmers in Ethiopia.
Fundraising activities included cow onesie days in Starbucks stores, coffee-cup cow displays, coffee-tasting events, sponsored cycle rides and even a visit from Southend football team.
Every pound raised from the campaign is being matched by the government to support the charity’s work in Ethiopia, enabling the Big Cow Project to support two coffee growing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Simon Barnes, Chief Executive of Send a Cow said: ‘‘We have been overwhelmed and inspired by the enthusiasm of Starbucks partners and their customers. Thanks to their fantastic support we have been able to spread the work of Send a Cow to high streets across the UK and Ireland and use the daily caffeine fix to save lives and ensure futures, not for one day, or even one week, but forever.”
Rhys Iley, vice president operations, said: “The Starbucks Cow Project was lead by one young partner with the passion to make a difference. Partners across the country have been so inspired to raise funds for farmers in Rwanda and the teams have really enjoyed getting behind this worthwhile cause. We’re looking forward to seeing more of the great work of Send a Cow on our next visit to Rwanda and to continuing to work together to support coffee farmers and their communities.”
Send a Cow works in seven countries in Africa providing some of the continent’s poorest people with training, tools, seeds and livestock to lift themselves out of poverty. Since it was founded in 1988 the charity has helped over 1.3 million people to transform their lives.
