A Costa Coffee partner employee from Lancashire embarked on an ‘inspiring’ trip to visit the children and families in a coffee growing community.

Mike Jackson, 63, from Briercliffe, was selected to see first-hand the work the Costa Foundation does for coffee growing communities in Vietnam for five days.

As the director of supply chain management and head of charity at Roadchef - a corporate partner of Costa, Mike has taken part in numerous fundraising events to help raise money for the charity, helping to raise more than £5,000 in the last five years.

His latest charity work saw Mike and the team embark on a five-day visit of the Costa Foundation’s work in Vietnam on March.

Lancashire Telegraph: (L-R) Mike is the first person wearing a Costa Foundation t-shirt(L-R) Mike is the first person wearing a Costa Foundation t-shirt (Image: Costa Foundation)

As part of the trip, the group visited nursery schools in the Dak Lak province of central Vietnam, meeting both children, parents of the children and teachers at schools that have been built by the Costa Foundation over the past five years.

Speaking about the trip, Mike said: “Visiting Vietnam and seeing the amazing work of the Costa Foundation and meeting the children was an incredible experience. I feel truly privileged to have been chosen for this trip and to be able to see how our hard work over the years is helping children in Vietnam.

“Education is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone, as it gives people hope and the opportunity to achieve great things in life. I am proud to support the Costa Foundation which is making a positive contribution to coffee growing communities globally, giving the children the start they need in their young lives. This visit has inspired me to fundraise even more.”

The group also attended the opening ceremonies of some of the newest schools to be built by the Costa Foundation across Vietnam. The visits highlighted the difference that the charity is making to improve access to education for children across coffee growing regions.

John English, community manager at Costa Coffee, who also took part in the special visit said: “The Costa Foundation exists to help provide a safe and quality education for children in coffee growing communities.

"An amazing total of £1.2 million was raised for the charity in 2022, which was made up of a combination of corporate donations, donations from product sales, and in-store fundraising activities – such as Mike’s. 

“We are honoured to have been able to acknowledge the achievements and hard work of our twelve Costa Coffee’s team members by taking them on an unforgettable trip to Vietnam, where they first-hand saw the difference that them, their stores and their communities are making.” 

In 2022, The Costa Foundation completed five new schools and ten school expansions, with six new schools under construction across the world’s coffee growing regions.

For 2023, seven new schools are planned to be completed across Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru, whilst adding extra facilities and expanding six schools across Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia.