Trade charity Hospitality Action is calling all cyclists regardless of age or ability to collectively ride 30,693 miles… all the way To Hell and Back for a week in June to raise much-needed funds to help hospitality people in crisis. The sponsorship funds raised will enable all cyclists to support their favourite pubs, hotels and cafes that they used to frequent on their rides and possibly took for granted.
The event builds on Hospitality Action’s inaugural virtual fundraiser, last year’s 20,000 Mile Hospitality Challenge, which saw over 500 participants combine to travel the coastline of the United Kingdom – and raise over £75,000 in the process.
Since the first lockdown, in March 2020, hospitality workers have experienced unimaginable hardship: lives and livelihoods have been lost; mental health has been challenged; businesses have closed. The past year has been nothing short of hellish, in short, this past year, they’ve been through hell. That’s why Hospitality Action is encouraging supporters to head To Hell and Back for their virtual fundraising challenge this June.
Sponsored by jellybean, Umbrella Training and supported by Champagne Taittinger Hospitality Action is asking cyclists to combine their sporting activities to cover an epic 30,693 miles to virtually visit four actual hells on earth: towns called Hell in California, Michigan and Norway; and Hell Creek in Montana. Crucially, this is a return journey. Yes, you’ll be heading to Hell – but everyone will be coming back again as a team, just as the UK’s resilient hospitality industry will be back in full attack, in the coming months. As an incentive for taking part each participant who raises over £150 in sponsorship will automatically be entered into a Prize Draw to win one of 15 bottles of Taittinger Brut Réserve. In addition, a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve will be given to the first 15 participants to raise over £350. The top fundraiser will also be invited to Champagne Taittinger in Reims when we are all able to travel safely, as a personal thank you from the
Taittinger family.
The challenge will start at 9am sharp on Thursday 10th June at the virtual starting point of Hospitality Action’s London office. Participants have until 2pm on Friday 18th June to return to the Hospitality Action headquarters finish line having clocked up over 30,000 miles between them.
Mark Lewis, Chief Executive, Hospitality Action said: “Our industry has been through inconceivable adversity, hospitality folk are struggling like never before. And too many people have struggled in isolation with their mental health. Together, we can and will recover. It’s our collaboration and care for each other that will see us through. Yes, we’ve been to hell this last year, but together we’ll come back from it stronger than ever”.
Harry Murray MBE, Chairman, Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa said: “I was proud to be the individual top fundraiser of last year’s virtual challenge, especially as I was the oldest participant. If I can do it you can do it and I hope you will be motivated to join me knowing that funds raised will help many of our hospitality family who have suffered hardship during the Covid crisis”.
Like all good sporting events there will be a pasta supper the night before taking place on Instagram Live. Participants are also encouraged to post snaps of their route and their endeavours to share across social media tagging friends using #ToHellandBack and @hospaction. By logging your exercise, donating to Hospitality Action and cajoling others to sponsor you and join in, you’ll help make a fundamental difference to hospitality people across the UK. If you can travel To Hell and Back simply follow the instructions and sign up here. All fundraising must be in accordance with government guidelines.
Hospitality Action is the trade charity for the hospitality industry.
Registered Charity number: 1101083.
Hospitality Action provides financial relief to alleviate poverty for people who work or have
worked in UK hospitality. We’re here for the chefs, waiters, housekeepers and managers.
We’re here for the concierges, receptionists and kitchen porters. And we’re here for every
sommelier, bartender, catering assistant and cook across the UK.
We offer counselling, advice and signposting to people facing mental health challenges or
dealing with illness, bereavement, debt or addiction. We also run an outreach programme to
keep loneliness at bay for hospitality retirees.
When the first national lockdown began in March 2020, Hospitality Action helped many
thousands of hospitality households in financial crisis. Just as in March, today millions of
hospitality workers can’t go to work, and many thousands have lost their jobs for good. Since
the outbreak of the pandemic Hospitality Action has worked tirelessly to help as many
people as possible by providing emergency grants to keep food on the table, to assisting
vulnerable industry retirees access local support, and by providing mental health resources
for those who have struggled during the crisis.
To learn more visit: www.hospitalityaction.org.uk
