UK Coffee Week: 4-10 April 2011 The UK's Biggest Celebration Of Coffee

Online, March 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - UK Coffee Week, 4-10 April 2011, will unite coffee shops and the British public in a way never before seen in the UK.

Thousands of coffee shops and cafes across the country will take part in a programme of charitable collections, in-store activities and public events to raise funds for Project Waterfall. UK Coffee Week provides a unique opportunity for highly competitive branded coffee chains, independent coffee shops and industry suppliers, to collaborate to celebrate the industry's success and give back to an extremely worthy cause.

Participating venues will encourage customers to add a voluntary 5p donation to all purchases made during UK Coffee Week. 100% of all donations will go directly to support Project Waterfall, a charitable initiative which will deliver clean water projects to impoverished communities in coffee-producing African countries.

Fantastic support from the coffee community
Branded chains Caffè Nero, Esquires and Starbucks have pledged their support and will invite customers to add a voluntary 5p donation to purchases during UK Coffee Week. Costa Coffee will raise awareness with a national in-store campaign, while M&S Cafe will release a special edition product exclusively for UK Coffee Week. The commitment of these big brands alone will generate huge support for the cause. Many independent coffee shops and smaller chains - including Alara, Andronicas World of Coffee, Bean Drinking, Caffè Fratelli, Coffee Affair, and Sacred - have committed their involvement. UK Coffee Week is proud to be supported by key industry suppliers Huhtamaki and Solo Cup.

Project Waterfall: coffee for a worthy cause
Clean water is something many of us take for granted in the UK. In many developing countries, access to safe water is limited or non-existent causing severe hardship for millions of people. UK Coffee Week aims to raise £1million to make a life-changing difference to up to 100,000 people in coffee-producing countries in Africa. The first project will be delivered in partnership with WaterAid and will provide clean water to communities in the Mbulu District of Tanzania.

It only takes 5p to make a difference.

Funds will be raised in the following ways:

â‹… A voluntary 5p donation added by customers to purchases at branded coffee shops and cafes across the UK
â‹… Coffee operators and industry suppliers will match consumer donations
â‹… Online donations at www.ukcoffeeweek.com
â‹… The London Coffee Festival, 8-10 April, will donate 100% of all ticket sales
â‹… Fundraising activities, public celebrations and a series of competitions will be held across the country in the lead-up to, and during, UK Coffee Week.

Get involved!
It's easy for everyone to get involved in UK Coffee Week. Simply adding 5p during UK Coffee Week is all it takes to make a difference. Additionally, encourage your local coffee shops to sign up to the programme, buy your London Coffee Festival ticket, create your own fundraising event or make an online or text donation - the possibilities are endless! Visit www.ukcoffeeweek.com to find out more.

Coffee shops and cafes across the UK, no matter how large or small, are encouraged to sign up to be a part of the programme and help give back to the grass roots of the coffee industry. All registered venues will be listed on the UK Coffee Week website to allow the public to locate and support their nearest participating coffee shop.

The London Coffee Festival
The London Coffee Festival is the flagship event for UK Coffee Week. Held from 8-10 April at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, The London Coffee Festival will be an inspiring celebration of London's vibrant coffee and gourmet food culture.

The festival will unite London's community of coffee and food lovers to enjoy artisanal coffee, gourmet food and drinks, live music and entertainment, barista demonstrations and hands-on activities. Visit www.londoncoffeefestival.com to find out more and book tickets. Follow The London Coffee Festival on facebook www.facebook.com/TheLondonCoffeeFestival and twitter @LdnCoffeeFest for exclusive ticket promotions and discounts.

100% of all ticket sales for The London Coffee Festival will go directly to Project Waterfall.