Blog. Watching the pounds
February 05, 2019 | Author Jeremy Gibson
There are loads of ways to fundraise for Hospitality Action.
One of the simplest and most effective is simply adding a discretionary £1 to guest bills. Our bill round-up programme is one of the fastest growing, and easiest ways to support your industry charity. In our experience guests are only too happy to contribute to the good of the industry they so admire, and it’s a great conversation starter.
One of the businesses to pioneer £1 on the bill in 2017 was the fabulous team at The Vineyard at Stockcross, who raised over £7000 in their first year running the scheme. It’s amazing that something so simple can quickly gather momentum and drive some seriously life-changing funds for Hospitality Action.
We asked The Vineyard’s Restaurant Manager Rebecca to tell us a little bit more about fundraising for HA.
How easy did you find it to set-up and implement the scheme?
The set up and implementation of the scheme was very easy and we had all the support we needed from HA
How did you promote the scheme and its benefits to guests?
It is written on to the bill and we keep the leaflets available if anyone wants to have further information as well as briefing the teams who feel confident to talk about the charity and its work.
What were the guest reactions to the scheme when you told them about it?
On the whole they were happy to pay the pound – some choose not to if they have other charities they support but on the whole it has been very well supported and there’s never been an awkward moment.
The scheme at The Vineyard raised around £7,000 for Hospitality Action – how do you feel about that?
Very happy – that’s 7,000 diners who have supported a scheme which means that the teams that looked after them have support later on in life if they need it.
What do you think are the benefits of supporting a charity like Hospitality Action?
We have always had a charity that we raise money for – it is great that this charity now directly links into what we do – if people enjoy dining and staying out then supporting a charity like this makes complete sense. The story of Le Manoir’s Mitchell Collier really impacted our team and brought home to us how important it is to do our bit for HA.
Would you recommend the scheme to other restaurants, and if so, why?
Yes – that such a small amount on each bill can raise so much money is fantastic. And again, being part of something that directly links to each individual who works here has raised further awareness of the benefits available to them.
Adding just £1 may not seem like much, but you’ll be amazed at how much money you can raise to support your colleagues and fellow industry professionals through times of hardship.
We want as many businesses as possible to take up the scheme which can easily be applied to hotel stays as well as restaurant bills.
To get started contact the Get Involved team and we’ll give you all the resources you need. You can find further info about the programme on our website, or check out or blog over on the Social Sunday website to discover how Hai Cenato ran with the idea to do something fantastic.