Village Hotel Club has announced its partnership with Hospitality Action for 2025.
Founded in 1837, Hospitality Action is a charity that supports the needs of those working in the hospitality sector. It specialises in providing financial assistance and advice to those in extreme poverty or dealing with physical and mental health challenges. Since 2020, it has delivered more than 11,000 counselling sessions, received nearly 40,000 helpline calls, and used more than £5,000,000 in financial grants to support the UK hospitality industry.
Over the next 12 months, Village will support Hospitality Action through a programme of fundraising initiatives that will raise vital funds for UK hospitality professionals facing financial and personal challenges. This will include the launch of ‘BIG People Days’ – dedicated days where Village Hotels’ staff and the wider community connect, compete in fitness activities, or participate in team-building activities to raise money for meaningful local causes – across its 33 hotels.
As one of its key fundraising events for the year, Hospitality Action will host a Summer Cycle challenge on 23 June in Hampshire. In support of this, Village will host a spinathon challenge in each hotel to raise awareness and funds for Hospitality Action. In October, Village will also set up a treadmill across its 33 hotels to raise funds and encourage healthy competition amongst colleagues. All funds from its BIG People Days will be donated to support Hospitality Action’s mission.
Village’s partnership with Hospitality Action builds on its existing charity partnerships with Carefree and Sue Ryder. A core pillar of Village Green, Village’s ESG strategy, is its community programme in which Village is on a mission to make a positive impact on the communities it operates in.
In 2024, Village donated 2,065 hotel room nights worth over £180,000 to Carefree, a not-for-profit organisation which provides fulltime, unpaid carers with much-needed time to recharge and rest using vacant hotel rooms. Last year, Village also raised £7,100 for Sue Ryder, which supports individuals dealing with bereavement. In partnership with Sue Ryder, Village also hosted ‘Grief Kind Spaces’ in its meeting rooms, offering a designated area for grief support.
Kelli Turner, General Counsel and Director of ESG, Village Hotel Club, said:
“At Village, we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the community, and our charity partnerships are an essential part of our Village Green programme, with a commitment to making a positive impact on those who need it most. Hospitality Action supports causes close to our heart, and our partnership will allow us to provide support to both those in the communities we operate in and the sector more widely.”
Mark Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality Action, added:
“Fundraising for Hospitality Action has never been so important. Hospitality workers across the UK continue to face financial hardship, challenges to their physical and emotional wellbeing, and the risk of homelessness. We receive no government funding and rely on the generosity of the industry to carry out our vital work. Many thanks to Village Hotels for their fantastic support; we’re excited to collaborate this year and look forward to making a positive difference together.”