The Drinks Trust, committed to helping out those in need in the hospitality industry, has reported on a range of activity across a very unusual year.
The covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the drinks and hospitality industries, leaving workers in significant financial hardship and having a significant impact on wellbeing.
As reported by a hospitality trade bodies’ (UK Hospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and the British Beer & Pub Association) survey, released in November 2020, 72% of hospitality and pub businesses could become unviable and close in 2021. Also, as reported by the BBC, 297,000 jobs were lost in the hospitality sector between February and November this year, accounting for more than a third of UK job losses.
In 2020, The Drinks Trust has provided support to nearly 5,000 beneficiaries through both wellness services and financial aid. The vast majority of these individuals were directly affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
It has approved more than 2,600 emergency grants worth £660,000, and a further £85,000 in other one-off applications for support. In total, the charity will have delivered over £1.2 million of support in 2020, compared to just over £500,000 spent in regular years.
This year, The Drinks Trust will have helped almost five-fold more individuals than it did in an average year over the last decade. Of those supported with emergency grants, 90% of recipients were under the age of 40; over 80% of recipients had a front of house or bar role, and over 400 grant recipients had one or more dependents.
Vital services
Ross Carter, chief executive of The Drinks Trust, said: “In what has been a year of turmoil for the industry, we have received thousands of requests for support from colleagues in need. Many of these individuals have been left without incomes and facing significant wellbeing challenges.
“We are grateful to all the businesses, and to the industry workforce community, who have donated to The Drinks Trust. Without your support, we would not have been able to deliver these vital services.
“Demand for our support will continue through 2021, regardless of the arrival of the vaccines. The Drinks Trust will continue to provide the services and the opportunity to help our people recover and in time, to return to work.”
Trust chairman, Michael Saunders, added: “2020 has been a year of seismic change for our charity and I am so delighted that Ross and his team have been given the tools to respond to the dramatic increase in demand for support.
“It is good to be able to feel that we have been able to help so many people in some small way, and will continue to do so. I echo Ross’s thanks to all those benefactors who have been so generous with their time and money.”
