The Hospitality Against Homelessness campaign encourages operators, individual donors and partner organisations to support the charity in a variety of different ways, including helping to fund the charity’s Member Stability Grants Scheme - a payment of up to £1,500 given during the first 12 months of starting employment within the sector, to provide short time financial support, stability and independence to any member struggling with adjusting or reintegrating back into society.
Only A Pavement Away, which aids prison leavers, veterans and those facing homelessness back into employment in the hospitality industry, launched the campaign on World Homeless Day in October and will continue fundraising for it until early next year.
To date, the campaign has raised more than £22,000 through independent fundraising initiatives with partner organisations, and umbrella activations such as National Winter Warmth Week (14 – 20 November) and CEO Sleepout London (21 November).
Partner organisations that have got involved through dedicated fundraising initiatives include BrewDog, which is encouraging customers at its ‘Doghouse Manchester’ venue to donate to the charity when they order from a brand-new winter food menu; Pho, which has created a festive chocolate orange martini with 50p from every cocktail sold going straight to the charity; and Blacklock, whose team completed a 5K Santa Run with all monies raised going to the charity.
“We’d like to extend a big thank you to all the individuals and businesses who have taken part – it’s a real testament to our fantastic industry,” says Greg Mangham, CEO and founder of Only A Pavement Away.
“The monies raised will help to ensure that the members of our charity can be fully supported with all the guidance and financial aid they need to ensure a stable pathway to successful and ongoing employment.”
Hospitality Against Homelessness is supporting people like Jon Paul, who has found stability through employment after spending time in prison.
“If it wasn’t for my job, I probably would have been doing things I shouldn’t have been and more than likely wouldn’t have been stable,” he says.
“So, it’s helped me to get used to the normal way of life and working, it’s a big thing.”
Only A Pavement Away’s employment programme works in partnership with hospitality employers, referral charity partners and individuals who have experienced or are facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans.
It facilitates training and development as well as offering additional financial support to those who need it to overcome any barriers to employment, to help them back into work and in doing so, help to tackle some of the staffing and skills shortages within the hospitality sector.
