Blog. Spotlight on: SOS Group.
July 22, 2026 | Author Sophie Dodsworth
For the past eight years, SOS Group has been a valued supporter of Hospitality Action, providing practical, in-kind support that has helped us save more than £25,000 in printing and photocopying costs over the last six years alone. By helping to reduce our day-to-day overheads, they've enabled us to direct more of our resources towards supporting hospitality people in crisis. We caught up with Andrew Skelton, Director of SOS Group to talk about what inspired the partnership, why giving back matters, and the lasting impact of practical business support.
What first motivated SOS Group to support Hospitality Action?
What first motivated us was the fact that Hospitality Action supports the people behind the hospitality industry, not just the industry itself. At SOS Group, we work closely with hospitality businesses, so we understand how demanding the sector can be and how much it depends on the commitment of the people working within it. Hospitality Action provides practical support to individuals facing hardship, and that immediately resonated with us.
We’ve always believed that if your business benefits from being part of an industry, you should also look at how you can give something back to it. Supporting Hospitality Action felt like a very natural way for us to do that. It wasn’t about making a one-off gesture; it was about backing an organisation that makes a genuine difference to people’s lives. Knowing our support can help the charity direct more of its resources towards people in need has always been a big part of why the partnership matters to us.
Why is practical, in-kind support like this so important for charities?
Practical, in-kind support is incredibly important because it can have a direct and lasting impact on a charity’s ability to use its resources where they matter most. Financial donations are, of course, essential. Still, when a business can provide services, expertise or infrastructure, it helps reduce operational pressure and frees up more funds for frontline support.
That’s exactly why this kind of partnership matters to us. Over the last six years, SOS Group has helped Hospitality Action save more than £25,000 on photocopying and printing costs. That’s £25,000 the charity hasn’t had to spend on day-to-day overheads and has instead been able to use elsewhere to benefit people seeking support. For us, that’s where in-kind support becomes really powerful. It may happen behind the scenes, but the impact is very real because it allows charities to focus more of their time, energy and funding on the people who rely on them.
How does supporting charities align with SOS Group’s company values?
Supporting charities aligns very closely with SOS Group’s values because we’ve always tried to build the business around people, relationships and long-term responsibility. Of course, we’re proud of the growth we’ve achieved, but we’ve never believed success should be measured purely in commercial terms. For us, it’s also about how we support the industries and communities we’re part of.
That’s why charity partnerships feel like a natural extension of who we are. We want to be a business that is dependable, practical and willing to contribute where we can. Hospitality Action is a particularly strong fit because it supports people in an industry we know well and care about. The fact that our support has helped the charity save in photocopying and printing costs means we know our involvement is making a practical difference, helping free up funds that can be redirected to those who need support most.
Eight years is a long time – what’s kept the partnership going strong?
I think the main reason the partnership has stayed strong is that it has always felt meaningful. Hospitality Action does important work, and unfortunately, the need for that work hasn’t gone away. Hospitality can be an incredibly rewarding industry, but it can also be challenging, and there will always be people who need support during difficult periods. Knowing the charity is there to provide that help gives the relationship real purpose.
From our side, we’ve never viewed the partnership as a short-term initiative or a box-ticking exercise. We believe the best relationships are built on shared values, trust and consistency over time. As the partnership has grown, so has our understanding of how we can help in practical ways. Being able to support Hospitality Action with services that have saved the charity over £25,000 in the last six years alone is a great example of that. It’s that sense of real, measurable impact that has kept the partnership worthwhile.
What would you say to other businesses considering supporting Hospitality Action?
I’d say it’s absolutely worth exploring, because there are so many ways to get involved and support that don’t have to be one-size-fits-all. It might be fundraising, securing sponsorships, raising awareness, offering services in kind, or simply using your expertise to help reduce costs for the charity. The important thing is recognising that even practical support can make a very real difference.
For any business connected to hospitality, directly or indirectly, supporting Hospitality Action is a meaningful way to give something back to the people behind the industry. My advice would be: have the conversation, look at where you can help, and don’t underestimate the value of practical support.
A huge thank you to SOS Group for their continued generosity and commitment to Hospitality Action. If you’d like to learn more about working alongside Hospitality Action, please get in touch. #wevegotyou