Henderson Foodservice’s Barista Bar coffee brand is supplying ‘keep me’ cups and complimentary beverages to volunteer organisation Eco Rangers to its core volunteers in the East Antrim area.
Retired paramedic Abe Agnew (71) formed the group last October. Since starting as a small team, the group now has 1400 members, group including 170 junior eco warriors who clean up litter in the East Antrim region encompassing Larne, Carrickfergus, Islandmagee, Ballycarry, Gleno, Glynn and Carnlough.
Abe said, “It’s fantastic for volunteers to have access to a welcome cup of coffee from Barista Bar, especially in their ‘Keep Me’ cups which is very fitting to our cause.
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“Our volunteers can pop into Spar/Eurospar/Vivo/VivoExtra outlets for a top up, especially as we head into the colder Autumn and Winter days. A single reusable coffee cup can replace 3000 disposable cups and the Eco Rangers are pleased to promote their use in this way.
“We work closely with Mid and East Antrim Council who supply and dispose of the blue bags we use for litter collection. Building collaborative links with local government, businesses and communities is key to making significant changes in regard to waste and litter and so we are delighted to embark on this partnership with Henderson Foodservice’s Barista Bar.”
Barista Bar brand manager, Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale commented: “We were hugely impressed and humbled by the invaluable work of the Larne Eco Rangers and were thrilled to be able to support them by donating Barista Bar ‘keep me’ cups and pre-loaded loyalty cards so that volunteers can avail of a well-earned hot beverage of their choice in participating Spar/Eurospar/Vivo stores in the East Antrim area.
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“As a brand we are conscious of the impact single use coffee cups have on the environment and we encourage the use of reusable cups. We launched our reusable cups in 2019 and now there are nearly 80,000 in use across Northern Ireland. They are a key part of our brand message and our commitment to being a sustainable brand.
“We are delighted to be celebrating this new partnership with the Eco Rangers on their first anniversary and want to say a big thank-you to Abe Agnew and all the volunteers for their time and hard work in improving the local environment.”
