What?

I have decided to sacrifice one of my favourite luxuries, vices or unhealthy habits every month throughout 2021, in the hope of raising some money for Hospitality Action. These will include giving up meat, single-use plastics, and even a comfortable bed, amongst other things. This month I am joining in with “Dry January” and giving up alcohol; something those who know me will agree will be quite a challenge.

I am not asking for huge donations. After all, I am not undertaking some great feat of endurance, skill or strength! What I am asking is that you redirect some of the money you might have spent buying me a pint or two towards this great cause. Similarly, you could donate some of the money you would have spent drinking and socialising with friends that you can no longer see due to Covid-19 restrictions. At the very least, please help me to offset the potential damage a month of me not drinking will do to the hospitality industry! As an added incentive, I will match the first £200 of donations collected through a direct donation to Hospitality Action.

Why?

We can all agree that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unwelcome impact on all of our lives in 2020, and will continue to for the immediate future at least. The impact has been especially devastating to the ongoing business of our cafes, restaurants, events venues, pubs, bars and hotels. The sector has experienced damaging disruption on a scale never before seen, leaving as many as 1/5 hospitality businesses at “significant risk of insolvency”.

Prior to the pandemic, the UK hospitality sector employed approximately 3.2 million people. It is these people who Hospitality Action exists to help, and they need your support to do this.

Each year Hospitality Action assist thousands of people through challenging times, with industry specific specialist support for mental and physical ill-health, relationship breakdown, debt, bankruptcy and addiction. Their help and support is needed now more than ever.

About Me:

I am a designer specialising in the hotel and hospitality industry. I work for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) supporting their growth and renovation projects here in the UK. Through my role, I have seen first hand the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on this industry and its employees, and I want to help. I have been fortunate to reach the end of 2020 with some money in my pocket and the same job I started the year with. I know many in our industry have not. I hope that by giving up some of life’s luxuries throughout the year I can not only show some solidarity with those that Hospitality Action help, but raise some desperately needed funds so that they can continue their great work.

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