The Business Charity Awards are designed to reward companies that lead the way in their relationships with the voluntary sector, either through well-established or more innovative schemes.

In May 2012, our Puro Fairtrade Coffee brand and World Land Trust were put forward for entry into 2 categories.

Cause Related Marketing: For a marketing partnership between a business and a charity that has used the company’s products to promote the charity’s cause or brand, or helped to raise funds for the charity.

Affinity Marketing: For a company that has successfully marketed products or services in conjunction with a charity and brought benefits to both parties.

The finals were on the 15th May and we took pleasure in joining HSBC, Barclays, Tesco and Sainsbury’s in winning an award. We came in 1st place for Cause Related Marketing and 2nd place for Affinity Marketing.

Our winning speech on the night:

It is incredible to do what you love

doing and do good whilst you do it. In our case it is blending, roasting and selling Fairtrade Organic coffee and directing a percentage of sales to purchasing and protecting rainforest reserves in the countries that grow our coffee.

Ultimately we as a business can only make a very small impact on the rainforest deforestation that is occurring worldwide. But we can use our packaging and point of sale material to educate and inspire the general public whilst connecting them to World Land Trust and their buy an acre projects.

This win is a tribute to all forward thinking companies that prioritise people and planet alongside profit, to the Fairtrade farmers who meticulously grow our coffee, to the charities that have formed to make a difference in the world within which we live, to all of our clients globally and finally to the ethically and environmentally conscious consumers whose purchases pave the way to a better future.