Local Bishop turns Barista for Christian Aid
 
On Monday 9th May, Bishop Paul will be acting as a barista for an hour at the St Peter’s Coffee shop in Nottingham to raise awareness for Christian Aid* Week.
 
Between 10.30am and 11.30am customers can have their coffee made and served to them by the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham. The Rt Revd Paul Butler will be serving Fair Trade coffee to customers at the St Peter’s Coffee Shop in Nottingham’s city centre as part of a national stunt by Christian Aid called ‘Barista Bishops’. These sessions are being run across the country to raise awareness for Christian Aid Week as well as the importance of Fair Trade coffee.
 
Bishop Paul said: “I enjoy watching a really good cup of coffee being made, and look forward to learning just what it takes to be a barista. People sat around chatting over coffee for relaxation, or for serious discussion is part of how we function today. It’s easy to forget just where the coffee comes from; having seen coffee growers I know they need a fair price for their hard work; it’s their livelihood; it’s their children’s education and well-being; that’s why I support fair-trade coffee.”
 
Christian Aid Week is a crucial time in the Christian Aid calendar and last year over a quarter of a million people raised a staggering £12.5 million to help Christian Aid’s vision of a world free from poverty become a reality.
 
The inspiration for this year’s Christian Aid Week is the story of small-scale coffee farmers in Nicaragua and the support given to them by one of Christian Aid’s partner’s, ‘Soppexcca’. Since its creation twelve years ago, ‘Soppexcca’ has transformed farming communities within Nicaragua. It helps farmers form co-operatives which then enables them to work together to get a better price for their beans, improve their communities and live free from poverty.
 
There are three ‘Barista Bishop’ sessions taking place across the East Midlands which include the Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby and Rev. Dr David Perry, Chair of the Lincoln and Grimsby Methodist District.
 
So if you would like to have your coffee made and served to you by a Bishop, come along to the St Peter’s Coffee Shop in Nottingham and meet the new ‘Barista Bishop Paul!’
 
You can find out more about ‘Soppexcca’ and Christian Aid Week by visiting: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/christianaidweek/index.aspx 
 

Ends