Tea for good

This past weekend in Stratford Upon Avon I toyed with the idea of documenting our time in the town in cups of tea.  We drank a lot of it.  I drink a lot of it generally and this weekend was no exception.  I get so much from my various daily cuppas that goes far beyond it just being a drink.   And the tea I have shared with other people over the years, in various settings, always goes beyond the cup.   So much can be achieved and gained over a cuppa.

I had to chuckle to myself therefore that as we got in the car to come home I noticed a tea related message on my phone.

The idea is to invite some friends over, all share a cuppa, and maybe a slice of cake and raise some money for Action Aid.    Penny was asking people who their guests would be as she didn’t have time to host a real time event and it sparked a great conversation amongst friends.   Some obvious choices appearing and some names of inspirational women that I hadn’t come across before cropped up too.

I went for Taylor Swift.  Not my first thought, I admit, but I would really like to pick Taylor’s brain.  She fascinates me.  Her drive and determination to succeed from a young age is well documented and I would love to chat to her about that and how we can get more girls to have that focus.   Also how does she maintain those great female friendships she talks about on social media.   Does she feel pressure to be a positive role model now she has carved out that niche for herself.    Or has she ever sworn really loudly in publicly.

Women are more likely to live in poverty simply because they are women. They are less likely to go to school, or be able to earn their own income, and one in three will face violence in their lifetimes. But all over the world, incredible women are standing up and speaking out.

Action Aid are passionate about supporting women all over the world, it is the core of what they do:

Girls and women experience violence, female genital mutilation, rape, early forced marriage, death through childbirth, unpaid labour, neglect and abuse. Often they don’t get the chance to go to school, earn a living, or even have any rights over what happens to their own bodies.

From more than 40 years of experience, we know that helping girls into education is the key to changing lives for good. An educated girl is more likely to grow up to be a healthy, empowered woman who can make her own choices, earn her own income, and protect and educate her own children.

ActionAid puts women and girls at the centre of our work across 45 countries. We make sure girls go to and stay in school, we work with communities to end gender-based violence, and we train women in the skills they need to earn a living. We also help women prepare for and recover from disasters, at a time when they can be at their most vulnerable

All of which I can completely relate to.   Of all my dealings with charities in the past it is the women that stick out as being the drive force behind positive and lasting changes not just in their own homes but also in the wider community.   From running their own hair dressing businesses to ensuring their children get to school.   To passing round the cups of tea.

And I would love to hear who you would like to invite to your tea party.   My first thought before Taylor was Maya Angelou, wouldn’t she have been an amazing person to share a cuppa with?