OAPA reports strong support for homelessness campaign

To date, the Hospitality Against Homelessness​ campaign has raised more than £22,000 through initiatives with partner organisations and umbrella activations.

This included CEO Sleepout London, which took place on 21 November and featured 17 hospitality leaders sleeping outside at Lord’s Cricket Ground, raising more than £33,000 for homeless charities including OAPA.

It also included OAPA’s National Winter Warmth Week (14 to 20 November), which encouraged donations of warm clothing and toiletries for rough sleepers.

Donations distributed

These were then distributed by 27 hospitality operators. Some 500 bags were collected and distributed to homeless charities across Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Norfolk, London and Oxford.

Support for the initiative is ongoing with Craft Union running collections across its estate between January and March 2023.

The Hospitality Against Homelessness ​campaign, which will continue into early next year, was designed to raise awareness and funding.

It encourages operators, individual donors and partners organisations to support the charity in various different ways such as helping to fund the charity’s Member Stability Grants Scheme.

This is a payment of up to £1,500 given during the first 12 months of starting employment within the sector, to help provide short-term financial support, stability and independence to any member struggling with adjusting or reintegrating back into society.

Success delight

OAPA founder and CEO Greg Mangham said: “We’re delighted with the success we’ve seen with the Hospitality Against Homelessness ​campaign – our biggest and best campaign to date.

“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.

“The monies raised will help to ensure the members of our charity can be fully supported with the all the guidance and financial aid they need to ensure a stable pathway to successful and ongoing employment.”

The charity’s employment programme works with hospitality employers, referral charity partners and individuals who have experienced or are facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans.

It aims to aid training and development as well as offering additional financial support to those who need it to overcome barriers to employment, help them back into work and in doing so, helping to tackle of the staffing and skills shortage faced by the hospitality sector.