Corporate Social Responsability
In 2018 we celebrated Babingtons 125th anniversary – and we asked ourselves, how can we celebrate this amazing achievement in a way that respected our family values and invested in our next 125 years?
We decided to make it our mission to improve the quality of the life of the young men and women who live in Darjeeling, north east India.
Why Darjeeling? Because the first tea to be served in Babingtons in 1893 was a Darjeeling black tea and to this day it is where much of our tea comes from.
We targeted the most unfortunate young people living in conditions of poverty and social backwardness – our idea was by investing in the future of youth we would be investing in the future of the region.
Babingtons
for Darjeeling
School education is a real issue in India and in Darjeeling, home to some of the most famous tea plantations in the world. Instinctively we knew therefore that we had to make a difference to the lives of those who would otherwise be left behind. But more so, we wanted to provide an education program which would have a social impact on the whole tea growing area – on the whole community.
Since the beginning of 2018, the Babingtons for Darjeeling program has been sponsoring courses for students who previously hadn’t had the opportunity to study and find a job. Students with different backgrounds, including those of great degradation and suffering, who would be able to become part of the world of work, significantly improving their lives and that of their families and their community.
In 2018 the first fifty students joined the Babingtons for Darjeeling educational program, with great enthusiasm and eager to learn a new skill. 25 students graduated in nursing and 25 in hospitality. Since then, they have been working in Darjeeling (we make sure we keep in touch with our students) and during Covid they made a huge difference in their community and were of great support to the medical staff in the area. Today, a further 30 boys and girls are studying nursing and after their first 6 months in University, which has now concluded, they are spending the next 6 months in hospitals in Calcutta and Bagdogra.
Having the opportunity to empower the young generation in Darjeeling is certainly ambitious, yet very doable. It fills us with great pride to see the impact they have already had in their community. Most of the students’ parents work in tea gardens in Darjeeling and can’t afford to send their children to a University far from home. Through the Babingtons for Darjeeling charity project, this is now possible.
The parents, many of whom were extremely reticent to begin with, are now themselves filled with pride – and joy – seeing how their children have grown and the contribution they are making.
“It is an extraordinary team work and we are so grateful to be able to actually help those who are less fortunate than us, give them a real alternative for a better future” said Chiara after the graduation ceremony in January 2025.
“A commitment we at Babingtons are honored to pursue year after year” where Rory’s words, who joined online from Rome.
In fact 30 new student are beginning their course and we shall see them next year for their graduation
Our Philosophy & Commitment
All our teas are sustainably produced. We know where they come from; we like to know the conditions for the workers. We make sure all ingredients in our teas are 100% natural, we keep our packaging as environmentally friendly as possible.
All of this is part of Babingtons philosophy and we hope you can join us here where environment, social support and quality meet for a great cuppa!
Chiara Bedini & Rory Bruce
Descendants of Elizabeth Cargill who founded Babingtons with her friend