Drinks Trust Launches Support Line Awareness Campaign Amid Mounting Industry Pressures
The Drinks Trust has unveiled a new awareness campaign designed to highlight the support available through its round-the-clock confidential Support Line, as hospitality and drinks sector employees continue to face growing financial and emotional pressures.
Timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, the initiative focuses on four major issues affecting workers across the industry: financial strain, mental health concerns, family pressures and redundancy.
The campaign uses personal reflections and internal monologues inspired by real-life industry experiences to demonstrate the challenges currently being faced by people working throughout the drinks and hospitality sectors.
Nicky Burston, CEO of The Drinks Trust, said: “This new campaign has been created with our industry colleagues at its heart, ensuring they always know they can turn to us for support. Professional counsellors staff our confidential Support Line. Moreover, through The Drinks Trust, colleagues facing difficult times can also access up to 6 free counselling sessions.”
The launch comes at a time of significant economic uncertainty for operators and employees alike. Rising business costs, increased wage bills and higher business rates continue to place heavy pressure on hospitality businesses across the UK.
Industry figures suggest many operators are now reassessing staffing levels as they attempt to manage escalating overheads. Meanwhile, the ongoing decline in pub numbers remains a concern for the wider on-trade sector, with closures continuing across Britain during the opening months of 2026.
Alongside financial pressures, concerns around workplace wellbeing are also intensifying. Recent research into employee wellbeing across the UK indicates a sharp rise in burnout symptoms, underlining the growing importance of accessible support services for hospitality professionals.
The Drinks Trust said the campaign aims to remind people working in the sector that confidential help is available at any time through its Support Line, which offers guidance, practical assistance and emotional support for those experiencing difficulties both inside and outside the workplace.
Nicky Burston added: “What we are experiencing currently as an industry is something quite unprecedented, and the constant pressure on our colleagues is now taking a real toll on their lives and health. We are seeing too many people suffering in silence, and it’s our responsibility as an industry charity to encourage anyone to please reach out for any difficulty they might be experiencing. Our Support Line is here, available 24/7, completely confidential, and staffed by trained, qualified professionals who can assist you at any stage of your life. Please don’t suffer in silence, we are always here to help you.”
The charity continues to provide assistance to individuals across the drinks hospitality community through financial aid, wellbeing services and specialist guidance programmes aimed at supporting long-term career sustainability within the sector.