Hospitality Action is one of AG’s key charities for 2025

In 2022 restaurant manager Tatiana took her dream holiday in Angola to practice Kizomba dance. On her return to London, she was rushed to hospital and found out she had contracted a severe case of malaria. She was in a coma for four weeks, and her life was only saved by the amputation of her arms and legs.

When she left hospital, she had NHS prosthetic legs that just enabled her to walk – but in her own words she ‘needed more’ than just being able to walk; she needed to be able to dance again. That’s where Hospitality Action (HA) stepped in. The trade charity, which supports anyone who works in hospitality, from concierges and receptionists to sommeliers and chefs, helped Tatiana raise enough money to buy her first private, prosthetic legs. They have enabled her to return to her love of dancing – ‘You have to be in my skin to feel what I felt that day [I returned to dance],’ she says.

This is just one of countless stories of help and support that HA has provided since it was founded in 1837. Each story of need and giving is individual, and though most are not as extreme as that experienced by Tatiana, they are nevertheless stories that change lives. From financial grants to help with heating in the colder months, to a listening ear during hardships, this is a charity that makes an impact in tangible ways. ‘We have been supporting the UK hospitality industry for nearly 200 years. Hospitality is a sector where jobs can be low paid and employment can be insecure – we exist to step in and support when times become hard,’ explains Mark Lewis, HA Chief Executive.

Changing lives

When Ambassadeurs Group (AG) chose key charities to focus its philanthropic activities on in 2025, there was no question that Hospitality Action would be on the list. AG has donated £30,000 to support its work this year. Although it helps people across the UK, HA has its physical headquarters in London which is home to so many of those who work in the hospitality industry. ‘It is close to everyone’s hearts because of our wider business, which includes Les Ambassadeurs Club and No. 6 Hamilton Place,’ explains Krishna Hathi, Charity Initiatives Adviser at AG. ‘It is an example of a charitable initiative that effortlessly combines largescale fundraising with small, important gestures of giving that really do change lives.’

The hospitality sector has faced unprecedented challenges since the pandemic in 2020. These include rising costs, supply-chain shortages, closures and even finding staff. Hospitality Action has provided emotional support to more than 200,000 workers over the past five years, through grant giving, advisory services, helplines and its Golden Friends retiree outreach scheme. HA has also given financial support over the same period – it has awarded more than 15,000 grants to hospitality households in the UK and issued more than 1,786 winter fuel grants to alleviate extreme fuel poverty on the coldest months.

HA is staffed by a team of compassionate and empathetic people who understand how to determine need. Sometimes that need is not immediately obvious.  ‘Tatiana came to us because she needed a dishwasher,’ explains Giuliana Vittiglio at HA. ‘But a dishwasher isn’t something that people usually ‘need’ – they can wash up in the sink. So, our team knew there must be more to the story.’ They spoke to Tatiana and learned what had happened to her and what she really needed.

Since 2020, HA has spent £5m in grants, it has answered more than 38,000 helpline calls and delivered almost 11,500 counselling sessions. Its primary aim is to provide financial assistance and advice to those in extreme poverty or dealing with mental or physical health in the hospitality sector.

Everyone who works in the sector is supported. Peter was a General Manager in restaurants when he realised his eyesight was deteriorating. He was diagnosed with two brain tumours and realised he couldn’t continue working. ‘The chemo had a massive impact on me in ways I didn’t understand at the time – it was physical, mental, psychological and I didn’t understand it,’ he says. He suffered anxiety and confidence issues and couldn’t see a clear way forward. He contacted HA a few years after he underwent treatment and received the mental health support he needed. ‘It was invaluable. There was someone at the end of the phone who was there for me. Looking back, I would have had a better outcome quicker if I had reached out sooner.’

HA collaborates with businesses across the UK to come up with ways to support its work. It has produced cookbooks for retail sale, hosts gala dinners, and its sponsored 20km Walk for Wellbeing is an industry-wide annual fundraising highlight.

‘The support of businesses like AG is invaluable,’ says Mark. ‘We are there to support people at their lowest, most vulnerable moments and in turn we need support to be able to continue doing that.’

For more information about Hospitality Action and the stories that change lives reach them at www.hospitalityaction.org.uk