The Hilton Global Foundation, Hilton’s primary philanthropic arm, has announced a commitment to grant a record £2.7 million in funding to organisations that are supporting career development, community resilience and environmental sustainability, including two UK charities.
Through funding provided by the Hilton Global Foundation, this year’s grantees are estimated to meaningfully impact more than 50,000 community members, provide nutritious food to more than 25,000 people, divert more than 450,000 pounds of food waste from landfill, preserve more than 150 acres of land and support over 20,000 learning and career growth opportunities. This positive impact supports Hilton’s Travel with Purpose strategy and efforts to create five million learning and career growth opportunities while meaningfully impacting 20 million community members by 2030. As part of this global commitment, almost £400,000 will be granted to two long-standing Hilton partner organisations in the UK – the Down’s Syndrome Association and Only A Pavement Away.
Julie Baker, Vice President London, Luxury and Ireland, Hilton said: “We are passionate about creating an inclusive working environment that empowers individuals from all walks of life to thrive. Through our continued partnership with WorkFit from the Down’s Syndrome Association and Only A Pavement Away, we’ve had the privilege of employing and supporting many individuals who bring unique skills and perspectives to the workplace. We’re delighted that both organisations have been awarded grants by the Hilton Global Foundation to ensure they can continue to build on the invaluable support they already provide to so many people in the UK.”
Greg Mangham, Founder and CEO of Only A Pavement Away added: “Hilton has been such a valuable supporter of Only A Pavement Away for a number of years now. The team have passionately advocated for and supported our work, even beyond the generous financial assistance they have provided. In fact, Hilton is one of our leading Employer Partners and has been instrumental in helping us to get our one-week ‘Passport-2-Employment’ programme off the ground, which has fast-tracked a great many of our members into long-term employment. That said, this donation is truly remarkable, these funds will go a long way in moving the charity forward in its mission to place 9,250 people facing homelessness into meaningful employment by 2028. The generosity & support of Hilton epitomises what hospitality is all about in how our industry serves the communities it works in. Thank you, Hilton.”
Carol Boys, Chief Executive, Down’s Syndrome Association added: “The DSA provides support to people who have Down’s syndrome throughout their lives, from birth and into old age. Work is such a huge part of a person’s life experience, and it’s vital that anyone who has Down’s syndrome that wants to work should be supported to do so. Thanks to Hilton’s amazing generosity, and the genuine commitment of the organisation to inclusion, we will be able to give even more people who have Down’s syndrome the chance to enter the world of work.”
