89 Reasons to Feel Hopeful: Hospitality Action's Ambassador AGM

There’s something genuinely uplifting about seeing 89 faces on a Teams call at 9am on a weekday morning. Not because they have to be there, but because they want to be. That was the opening to Hospitality Action’s Ambassador AGM, and it set the tone for what turned out to be one of the most moving hours I’ve spent in front of a screen in a long while.

As an ambassador for Hospitality Action myself, I already knew the charity did remarkable work. But hearing Mark Lewis, the CEO, walk us through the scale of what they do to support those who need it most in our industry was a proper reminder of why this organisation matters so much.

What Hospitality Action Actually Does

For anyone not familiar with Hospitality Action, they’re the industry’s benevolent fund and have been since 1837. They exist for people working in hospitality who hit a rough patch. That might be a relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, bereavement or any of life’s challenges that can affect all of us.

The charity offers five main strands of support:

Grants – Financial support for people in crisis, from clearing rent arrears to funding prosthetic legs.
Employee Assistance Programme – A paid service that employers can offer their teams, providing counselling, advice and now even virtual GP appointments.
Golden Friends – Outreach for retired hospitality workers to combat loneliness and isolation.
Welfare Benefits Advice – Helping people access the support they’re entitled to (in 2024 alone, £24 billion went unclaimed from the welfare state).
Mental Health Support – A helpline available to anyone in hospitality, whether they’ve received grants or not.

Last year they touched the lives of over 200,000 people in hospitality. They gave out over £1 million in grants and unlocked about £550,000 in welfare benefits. Those aren’t just numbers. They’re families who kept a roof over their heads, people who got the medical equipment they needed and workers who found mental health support when they needed it most.

Star Turns from Alain and Sinead

The call featured two patrons who’ve backed Hospitality Action in seriously meaningful ways. Alain Roux from the Waterside Inn spoke about how the charity supports scholars from the Roux family scholarship programme. It was touching to hear him describe Hospitality Action as “a bit of a miracle” for his family and the scholars they work with.

Sinead Mallozzi from Sketch explained how they’ve raised an eye-watering £275,000 for Hospitality Action simply by adding £1.25 to every bill (a donation which is split between HA and the children’s charity they support). She made it sound easy. And it can be, with commitment, clear communication with both staff and guests and a genuine belief in the cause. It says a lot that since 2018 only about six people have asked for the charge to be removed. Showing how willing customers are to support HA when it’s explained properly.

Both Alain and Sinead spoke passionately about why hospitality needs its own support network. As Sinead put it, for the 250 staff she employs from 44 different countries, Sketch becomes their family in London. Having Hospitality Action as backup for those teams isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.

Matt’s Story

The most powerful moment of the call was watching Matt Davis’s video. Matt is a well-known chef in the Midlands and vice president of the British Culinary Federation. Eight years ago he suffered a horrendous accident that left him with extensive burns and resulted in the amputation of his dominant left arm.

Matt’s been working in kitchens since leaving school. The accident stopped everything. He described calling Hospitality Action’s emergency crisis line and how quickly they moved to connect him with the right people. What struck me most was when he said, “If you lose your career and have not been out of work since leaving school, it’s scary. It really is scary.”

Matt never needed financial support from Hospitality Action. What he needed was advice and someone to ‘wrap their arms around him’ metaphorically when everything felt overwhelming. That’s exactly what they did. He’s now a proud ambassador for the charity, even though he’s still recovering from surgery. His bravery in sharing his story was remarkable.

How You Can Help as a Hospitality Business

Hospitality Action doesn’t receive government funding. They need to earn every penny they spend. Here’s how you can support them:

Add a discretionary donation to bills – Following Sketch’s lead, round up bills or add a small amount that goes directly to the charity.
Invisible Chips – Add ‘invisible chips’ to your menu as a fun way to help customers include a donation.
Pennies – Make HA your nominated pennies charity.
Join challenge events – The Summer Cycle Challenge on 22nd June or Walk for Wellbeing (October) bring teams together whilst raising funds.
Host fundraising dinners – Use your kitchen and dining room to raise money, like Alain does with the Waterside.
Spread the word – Tell your teams, suppliers and contacts about Hospitality Action. Many people still don’t know it exists.
Subscribe to the Employee Assistance Programme – Give your team access to counselling, legal advice and now virtual GP services.

Why Hospitality Action Matters

Hospitality is brilliant at looking after guests. We’re not always as good at looking after each other. Hospitality Action exists to fill that gap.

The fact that over eighty ambassadors showed up on a Thursday morning to hear about the charity’s work says everything about how much this sector cares. Now it’s about making sure everyone in hospitality knows that if they hit trouble, there’s someone there to wrap their arms around them.

Find out more at www.hospitalityaction.org.uk