More than a thousand people from across the hospitality and catering industry united earlier this month to ‘Walk for Wellbeing’ and make a positive difference in support of UK charity Hospitality Action.
Marking its fifth and biggest year to date, and launched on World Mental Health Day, Walk for Wellbeing has raised a remarkable £135,000, making it the charity’s largest annual mass participation fundraiser.
Beyond raising vital funds, this national movement is about emphasising the importance of prioritising one’s own mental health and wellbeing whilst also looking out for that of colleagues. At present, the leading cause of anxiety in the UK is financial worry and debt. Since the start of 2024, Hospitality Action has experienced record high calls to their helplines and grant applications, with the majority citing debt as the biggest trigger of anxiety leading to feelings of hopelessness and mental health issues. Every penny raised will directly benefit hospitality employees and their families facing challenging times.
Created and powered by hospitality talent and recruitment partner mum, in partnership with Caterer.com, Imperial London Hotels, Lifetime Training, Mews and Peoplebank, individuals and teams from across the industry joined hosted 20km walks on Sunday 13 October in nine UK cities including London, Oxford, Bath/Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow for this enjoyable and flexible event.
In addition, hundreds of people chose to ‘Walk It Your Way’ between World Mental Health Day on 10 October and 27 October, raising even more awareness and vital funds for this worthy cause. From walking 10km in a nature reserve or along a local beach with friends and family, to holding walking meetings and team walkabouts, participants came up with a variety of ways to get involved and play their part in supporting the vital work of Hospitality Action. A special highlight this year was a record set by Hospitality Action Ambassador Charlie Hodson, who walked an impressive 155 miles from Norwich to London, raising £3,000 for the charity.
Craig Prentice, creator of Walk for Wellbeing and Founder & Director of UK hospitality talent and recruitment partner mum, said: “Walk for Wellbeing is all about doing what we can to look after ourselves, the people around us and those in the wider community. I’m blown away by the turnout and support we have received this year. Seeing hundreds of like-minded people come together for the greater good goes to prove what we have always known about our incredible industry: when it really counts, we’ve got each other’s backs.
“It’s amazing to think that in just five years, we’ve gone from a small group of twenty walkers to well over a thousand. I can’t wait to see what next October brings when the nation dons their walking shoes once again for Walk for Wellbeing 2025.”
Mark Lewis, CEO of Hospitality Action said, “Walking 20km in one go is not to be underestimated, so the fact that so many signed up to this rapidly growing national movement is testament to the importance of giving back. But this incredible event goes way beyond that. It’s also about prioritising one’s own mental health and wellbeing whilst also feeling part of a supportive and united team where open dialogue is actively encouraged.
“Hospitality Action provides as much support as possible to our colleagues, but we can’t do it alone. Support must also come from within the hospitality organisations in which our people work. By working and walking together, we will really make a lasting, positive difference.”
The sixth annual Walk for Wellbeing will take place next October, with hosted walks planned for Sunday 19 October 2025 in cities across the UK. For more information, please email fundraising@hospitalityaction.org.uk.
Hosted 20km walks took place in the following locations on Sunday 13 October:
- London hosted by mum and friends
- Oxford hosted by The Store
- Bath/Bristol hosted by The Bath Hoteliers Association and The Bristol Hoteliers Association
- Cardiff hosted by The Cardiff Hoteliers Association
- Birmingham hosted by Tonic Talent
- Liverpool hosted by The Liverpool Hospitality Association
- Manchester hosted by The Manchester Hoteliers Association
- Glasgow hosted by Davidson Asset Management
About Hospitality Action
Hospitality Action is the trade charity for the hospitality industry.
How Hospitality Action Helps
Behind their smiles and slick service hospitality workers can fall upon hard times just like anybody else. Ours is a stressful industry, with long hours, high pressure environments and physically demanding work. Since 1837 we’ve been here for chefs, waiters, housekeepers and managers. We’ve been here for concierges, receptionists, and kitchen porters. And we’ve been here for every sommelier, bartender, catering assistant and cook throughout the UK.
The last three years have been transformational for our industry, the people who work within it and for Hospitality Action too. We were one of the first UK charities to mount an emergency response to the Covid- 19 pandemic in 2020 and we kept pace with the stop-start nature of re-opening as each wave triggered business closures and increasingly unpredictable employment patterns. Our grant-giving, advisory services and EAP provision continue to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.
Since the start of the pandemic, we have awarded 12,000 grants, totalling £4,000,000 to hospitality households across the UK and answered tens of thousands of calls via our helplines. Whatever you do in hospitality #wevegotyou.
For more information about Hospitality Action visit here.
