Twin win big at 2019 Charity Awards

Non-profit organisation Twin has been presented the International Aid and Development award for its work with two coffee cooperatives in Peru at the 2019 Charity Awards. The presentation was made on 5 June at the Tower of London, United Kingdom. Matt Nolan, Chief Executive Officer of Civil Society Media, organisers of the Charity Awards, says this year’s awards had more entries than ever before. “The standard was as high as ever Twin should be very proud to have won their category. Their work delivers great results,” Nolan says.  Twin, in collaboration with retail outlet Marks and Spencer and roasters Matthew Algie and Taylors of Harrogate, conducted a detailed survey of farmers in the producing communities of Pangoa and San Juan Del Ora in Peru. The survey revealed the biggest challenges for producers were climate change, gender inequality, and youth disengagement with coffee. In response, Twin designed a three-year project where they trained 1856 people in sustainable agriculture. The results of the training facilitated a 56 per cent coffee yield increase, more women took on leadership positions within the cooperatives, and youth accessed loans to start businesses to run in conjunction with coffee farming.  “Working across a whole supply chain proved to be very effective and efficient – all the project partners were able to learn from one another and the results are very impressive,” says Richard Anstead, Managing Director of Twin and Twin Trading. Nine other recipients were awarded across different categories, including Sir Harpal Kumar the award winner of the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement. The Charity Awards shortlist is chosen through an independent panel of expert judges, made up of leading figures in the charity sector. “For 20 years the Charity Awards have been recognising and celebrating the fantastic work that large and small charities do, up and down the UK every day of the week, and the rigorous judging process ensures that only the very best-run charities win awards,” says Nolan.