Examples of 'Social Good'
Hospitality can take the lead
Hospitality can really play an important role in society. In communities across the country, the traditional pillars of society have changed. The local bank manager is far less active. Same arguably re the GP and the local solicitor as compared to times gone by.Hospitality is as central as ever and arguably even more so as food is so much more important. There is a genuine opportunity for the industry to really show itself in a new light just by how it interacts with society.
This is not just about doing good but about highlighting leadership and also good business practice as it will naturally build strong bonds with the community.Leading the social agenda can take a range of forms and we will aim to recognise as many as we can and the base premise is finding those that make a difference in one form or another. It could be with the poor or hungry, with sustainability, with conservation, with the young and unemployed.
Just some examples:- Rosewood London have been campaigning for Great Ormond Street with Mini Wishes which includes Farther Christmas travelling around London in a red Mini convertible giving out Christmas wishes.
- Beyond Food, situated at Brigade, delivers professional training programmes for adults who have experienced, or are at risk of, homelessness.
- The Sustainable Restaurant Association are launching a social action platform with The Breakfast Club to maximise the impact of the connections between kitchens and communities.
- BaxterStorey and executive chef, Hayden Groves, produced a new charity recipe book to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. It's a culinary journey documenting the 10,403km cycle ride across Europe undertaken by Hayden and a team of four cyclists, including ex-England footballer Geoff Thomas.
- Sodexo have partnered with Ways into Work to try and improve employment outcomes for young people with disabilities.
Change Please is empowering the homeless community by training them to be baristas.It has often been talked about the need for a fairer society. That needs to come from structural change but hospitality can certainly help support a broader and more open community spirit.It was interesting that when Athens was at its lowest ebb, it was the people that created initiatives to develop a change agenda for the city. The community started to pick up the litter and give each other tasks, creating forums to explore new ideas.Hospitality can lead in such a way too in almost every community and build stronger relationships as a result.For more on EP contact:
Ben.Butler@epmagazine.co.uk