Hospitality Action reports busiest ever year
The charity provided financial and emotional support to more households facing hardship than ever before.
As Hospitality Action marks the fifth anniversary of its first Covid grant – a pivotal moment that triggered a sharp and lasting rise in demand for support – the charity reports that this trend has continued, making 2024 its most challenging year yet.
According to its latest impact report, a surge in grant applications last year was driven by mounting debt, soaring living costs, unstable work patterns and declining mental health. Reflecting the deepening crisis faced by thousands of hospitality workers across the UK, the charity provided financial and emotional support to more households facing hardship than ever before.
Complex ‘red flag’ cases, where individuals faced the threat of imminent homelessness due to unpaid rent, council tax or utility bills, became increasingly common. Indeed, the number of emergency ‘same day’ payments awarded to prevent immediate eviction outstripped figures from the previous two years combined.
'Unprecedented surge'
Mark Lewis, chief executive of Hospitality Action, said: “I don’t think any of us quite predicted the unprecedented surge in calls for help we experienced throughout 2024. We answered more helpline calls, delivered more counselling sessions and awarded over £1 million in grants – more than in any previous year since the darkest days of the pandemic.
“This has only served to strengthen our resolve to support as many of our colleagues as possible. Supporting Hospitality Action isn’t just vital for our industry, it’s a smart investment in the wellbeing and resilience of your business and workforce too.”
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