The Yorkshire Dales was turned into a tearoom to help mark an important milestone.
Surrounded by spectacular scenery, walkers out for the day were surprised to stumble across a splendid afternoon tea – complete with table, a three-tier cake stand and silverware, served by waitress Kate I’Anson from Bettys, who is more usually found working as a waitress at its Café Tea Rooms in St Helen’s Square, York.
The alfresco afternoon tea, at Storiths Crag, on the Bolton Abbey Estate, marked the completion of the first phase of Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate’s Yorkshire Rainforest Project – a venture which has seen £750,000 raised over three years to help protect an area of Peruvian rainforest roughly the same size as the Yorkshire Dales.
The family business has supported environmental conservation since 1990, when it made a pledge to plant one million trees worldwide. Four years ago, after planting more than three million trees, the business turned its attention to rainforest protection.
Now, thanks to the support of staff and customers, the campaign has helped to protect 237,000 hectares of endangered Amazonian rainforest in Peru. But, the long-term aim is to protect 1.5 million hectares of rainforest – an area the same size as Yorkshire.
“We’ve been bowled over with the support we’ve received for our campaign,” said Sam Gibson, Bettys & Taylors’ ethical projects officer. Yorkshire Tea and Taylors Coffee drinkers have saved thousands of tokens and Bettys customers have attended events and purchased fundraising specialities.”
Tokens are printed on Yorkshire Tea boxes and Taylors Coffee packs, and Bettys and Taylors donate 50p to the Yorkshire Rainforest Project for every four tokens they receive.
The money raised and donated to date has supported the Rainforest Foundation UK’s work in the Selva Central region of Peru.
Work has been done to help improve the Ashaninka’s cocoa production, a trade connection with a Peruvian Fairtrade supplier has been established, communities have been assisted in developing a management plan for their lands and been trained on environmental issues and how to protect their rights.
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