INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S COFFEE ALLIANCE
Update: by Christine Cottrell
As interest in the IWCA gains momentum quite a bit has happened since the last update 3 months ago. Certainly, there is a lot of enthusiastic girls across the country gathering to make plans and get ideas into action and some wonderful support from generous companies helping us out in various ways.
Around the Country…
Victoria
In October, Lisa Feeley from Proud Mary Coffee Roasters took a group on a day out around Melbourne to include cupping at Sensory Lab, a tour around historical coffee places and lunch at Seven Seeds.
Debra Knight from Knight Mattingly Coffee Roasters also included IWCA promotions at her Women in Coffee Networking evening, held at Aunty Peg’s in Collingwood.
New South Wales
At Golden Bean in Newcastle recently, I gave a presentation on what the IWCA is all about. Lots of other IWCA supporters were there to spread the work as well. The response was amazing with several individuals, mostly male, handing me their business cards saying they wanted their female staff to be involved and promising support of all kinds. Thanks everyone.
Western Australia
In November Josephine McKay-Engdahl from Nord Coffee in Perth gathered a group together in WA to discuss the IWCA and how they would like to be involved. Planning is in the process and we look forward to hearing the outcomes.
Queensland and South Australia
The Queensland girls will have a long overdue get together early in the New Year and I will be working with our contacts in Adelaide regarding gatherings in South Australia next year.
New Steps
We are still at the socialising stage in the IWCA Chapter Formation protocol. With informal organising groups in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, we are now closer to having a national organising committee. The steps,
- 1. Socialising to raise awareness and build trust.
- 2. Send a letter of intent to form a chapter – after we have done sufficient socializing in each state and across all sectors of the coffee industry in our country.
- 3. Form an organising committee.
- 4. Organising committee to co-ordinate events and go through the legal requirements to set up a not-for-profit entity with a board of directors.
- 5. Make an application IWCA International to be a registered chapter.
TRIP TO ORIGIN – FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND – Expressions of Interest
In late March/early April 2016, a trip is being planned – to visit plantations in the Mareeba area and to visit other coffee people and places in and around Cairns and its hinterland.
Please advise us of your interest on the form below, so we have an idea of numbers and dates you are available if you’d like to participate.
More details will be sent in January. Please fax the form to 07 3352 7366 or scan and email the EOI form to, Christine Cottrell – Christine@perfectespresso.com.au
