Leading travel agency renews charity support to tackle hunger in Africa

23 January 2014

Silver Compass donates percentage from sales to Farm Africa

Farm Africa is delighted to announce that the leading UK travel agency Silver Compass will continue supporting its life-changing work in 2014.

The bespoke travel consultancy, which has offices in London and Bath, specialises in tailor-made tours, bespoke cruises, emerging destinations and family holidays.

Silver Compass began its partnership with Farm Africa in January 2013. Since then it has been donating a percentage of the value of every holiday booked to Farm Africa. The donation is made by Silver Compass at no extra cost to the customer.

In 2013 more than £1,000 has been raised for Farm Africa in this way.

Farm Africa is working to tackle hunger in Africa before it becomes an emergency. It does this by providing smallholder farmers with skills, tools and technologies so they can increase harvests and produce enough food for their families and communities to eat.

The charity works with some of the poorest rural communities in eastern Africa, a destination which has proved very popular with Silver Compass clients. Holidays in the region offer a wonderful range of experiences including beach resorts, Safaris and wildlife holidays, Kilimanjaro climbs and other physical challenges as well as exceptional natural scenery. However, the communities living there are among some of the poorest in the world.

But thanks to the support of Silver Compass for Farm Africa, clients know that they are making a difference to these communities while enjoying what destinations in eastern Africa have to offer.

Silver Compass and Farm Africa have much in common, apart from geographical location, with the travel agency keen to support Farm Africa’s work helping people out of poverty and hunger – for good.

Ben Williams, owner of Silver Compass, said:

"We are passionate about contributing in any way we can to the work of Farm Africa. From being a long-term personal supporter of Farm Africa I know supporting them through my business will to allow people in Africa to bring themselves out of poverty and hunger for the long term and to benefit from some of the things that we consider to be the very basics of life."

Support for Farm Africa has always been a family affair for the Williams. Ben’s brother Sam has both rowed across the Atlantic and cycled across the USA to raise funds for the charity. And their mother, Kit, has worked tirelessly to raise the charity’s profile in Wiltshire through talks and fundraising events.

Thanking Silver Compass for its remarkable support this year, Cathy Wentworth, Head of Corporate and Community Fundraising at Farm Africa said:

“We are delighted that Silver Compass has chosen to support Farm Africa in this way. Our work with farming communities across eastern Africa is only possible thanks to the generosity of supporters who share our belief that Africa’s farmers can feed Africa’s people. Please support this new venture by booking your next dream holiday with Silver Compass.”

Holidays booked through Silver Compass can make a real difference to those living in eastern Africa. For example:

• A city break for two could change the fortunes of a family that has nothing. Farm Africa could provide a seed starter kit, including nutritional staples like sorghum, maize, groundnuts and pulses that are also hardy enough to grow in harsh climates.
• A romantic beach holiday on the Indian Ocean could pay for three chickens and training on how to build a protective chicken coop and properly care for the birds.
• A one week Born Free Safari for a family of four could buy a camel. A camel from Farm Africa could enable an African family to forge a better future in desert climates. These ships of the desert can produce milk during periods of drought, even though they may not have water to drink themselves.

Ends

Notes to Editor:

For more information, please contact the Farm Africa Press Office:

Matt Whitticase,   020 7067 1237 / mattheww@farmafrica.org

Ngaio Bowthorpe 020 7841 5156 / ngaiob@farmafrica.org

If you would like to speak to someone at Silver Compass, please contact:

Ben or Kit Williams, 020 8305 0350 / info@silvercompass.co.uk.

About Silver Compass:

Silver Compass is an award-winning tailor-made travel agency based in London and Wiltshire with a passion for exceptional service. They are members of The Global Travel Group and as such, offer a full range of holidays worldwide. They thrive on thorough research and matching the right holiday to the client, especially where the requests are for something that little bit unusual.

About Farm Africa

Farm Africa supports farmers living at subsistence level, constantly at risk of crop failure, to build food and income security so that they can grow a better and reliable future for their families.

By focusing on ‘climate smart’ agricultural and forestry techniques, building market links and adding value to production, Farm Africa unleashes the entrepreneurial abilities of the farmers and rural communities they work with.

This is the time to turn challenge into opportunity for African farmers. Farm Africa believes passionately that smallholders can and will play a key role in achieving rural prosperity in Africa.