Story
On July 4th 2021, I competed in Ironman UK and raised over £1200 for New Ground Coffee CIC . This was an incredible experience and ticked off a life long goal as well as raising money for a great social enterprise.
This race went better than I could have imagined and I managed to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in October 2021 (delayed to Oct '22 cos Covid...). I am totally over the moon that I managed to get a "Kona Slot" and it'll be a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete with the best pro's and age-group triathletes in the world.
However, being in Hawai'i, this race isn't cheap and I need a bit of a leg-up to get me there. I still want to support NewGround with their re-employment and re-training of ex-offenders into the coffee industry for this event so I will be trying to raise money for both funds. 50% on getting me there and 50% to NewGround.
Why NewGround and what's the story behind it?
It's well known that prisoners are much more likely to reoffend after release if they are without training and jobs. So a business that creates opportunities has to help, right? We think so, and that’s what keeps us motivated every day.
NewGround started when a couple of mates wanted to really enjoy every single cup of coffee. We wanted to source new and exceptional coffees, and help drive the growing coffee culture in Oxford and The UK.
We also wanted to use the business to help tackle a social injustice.
At NewGround this is at the heart of everything we do. From our ethically sourced high-grade coffee, carefully selected from small-scale farms around the world, to our state-of-the-art facilities where we expertly roast each batch to reveal new exciting flavours every time.
But we believe coffee can go beyond the cup and can be used as a catalyst for change right here in our very own communities.
This is why we use our business to create work and training opportunities for ex-offenders across the UK, giving some of the most overlooked people in society a new beginning.
