The recent aha Forum echoed two powerful words, change and action, ideals that sit at the very heart of Accessible Hospitality Alliance’s purpose: a hospitality world that welcomes everyone.
Now, just weeks later, we’re seeing those precise words come to life, at BM Caterers, where change has already begun, with the appointment of an Access Champion within the organisation.
Following the forum, Antony Prentice, Managing Director of BM Caterers, engaged his team in a discussion about how they could meaningfully respond to what he had heard and its impact.
Together, they decided to appoint Regional Chef Manager Ben Schobs as the company’s first Access Champion, a role dedicated to listening, learning, and helping guide accessibility forward across the business.
Reflecting on his experience at the aha Forum and what prompted this decision, Prentice shared: “The aha Forum was a wake-up call and a really powerful event which really made us all stop and consider our business behaviours.
“Hearing from those with lived experience made it clear we had to move from intention to action. Appointing an Access Champion is just the start. We want to listen better, learn faster, and make accessibility a thread that runs through everything we do at BM.”
On taking on the new role, Schobs told us: “I am honoured to take up this role. As someone who is neurodivergent, it is really important to me that we are able to create an environment that enables all team members to succeed. I’m proud to work for an organisation that is leading the way in this space.”
The concept of appointing Access Champions was first shared by Robin Sheppard, Chair of the Accessible Hospitality Alliance, during the aha Forum. On hearing that BM Caterers had acted on the idea, Sheppard responded: “I’m grateful to Antony and the BM Caterers team for taking a lead in this important development for our industry. For meaningful change to happen, and clearly, it already is, people need to act. I congratulate Ben on his appointment and Antony on his leadership.”
The Accessible Hospitality Alliance welcomes this act of leadership, which undoubtedly is the first signal of meaningful change being underway.
