Ann Chambers, CEO and Founder of award-winning iStay Group, has been appointed onto the Northern Fundraising board for the hospitality industry’s benevolent charity, Hospitality Action. 

Hospitality Action was established in 1837 which has since offered vital assistance to all who work, or have worked within hospitality in the U.K. The charity helps hospitality people by providing financial support to those in poverty or those who are dealing with physical or mental health conditions. 

Hospitality Action was one of the first charities in the U.K. to mount an emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022, evolving its service offering and transforming its fundraising model throughout the pandemic to meet the changing needs of a sector that continued to bear the brunt of the economic and social impact of the crisis. 

As the pandemic unfolded, Hospitality Action’s response was to protect the financial and mental wellbeing of the most vulnerable people in the industry following sudden business closures, widespread job losses and long periods of furlough. At the start of 2022, they continued to develop their services response to the mounting cost of living, a crisis impact those with the lowest household incomes. 

Hospitality Action receives no government funding and money raised for the charity is through grant streams and award-winning fundraising products. The charity works relentlessly in supporting every person in the industry throughout the U.K, providing a safety net for more than 170,000 U.K. hospitality workers and their families, and have been recognised as ‘Charity of the Year’ in the 2021 Charity Times awards. 

Ann Chambers CEO of iStay Group, said:

“I am absolutely honoured to have been invited onto the Northern Board and I hope that my ideas for the fundraising programme, alongside my connections, will help make a real difference in raising much-needed funds at this critical time in the industry. At iStay, we have already appointed Hospitality Action as one of our two charities for the year ahead to further support those in need’.  

Chairman for the Northern Board, Stephen Miles, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Ann to the board and are already excited to see some of the new fundraising ideas being brought to the table’.  

For more information you can visit www.hospitalityaction.org.uk

READ MORE: Faces behind the Business – Ann Chambers – iStay Liverpool