Blog. Walk for Wellbeing - A National Movement.
July 08, 2026 | Author Giuliana Vittiglio
We are profoundly grateful to the many individuals and organisations who champion our cause with such passion and devotion. Today, we are honoured to highlight our Patron Craig Prentice, Founder of mum, and Ambassador Sean Wheeler, the backbone of our flagship Walk for Wellbeing initiative and whose unwavering dedication to Hospitality Action has transformed the lives of many.
Walk for Wellbeing is about uniting the hospitality industry through one simple yet powerful act: walking side by side in support of one another. Since it's launch in 2020 Walk for Wellbeing has raised more than £500,000, firmly establishing itself as one of our flagship fundraising events.
We recently caught up with Craig and Sean to reflect on how it all began and to find out how the industry can support this year's walk.
CP: Tell us a little about the Walk for Wellbeing. How you came up with the idea and how it has evolved over the past seven years.
When I picked up the phone to share my idea with Sean Wheeler back in 2020, neither of us imagined Walk for Wellbeing would go on to become what it is today. Earlier that same day, Sean and I had joined a video update call with Mark Lewis and other members of Hospitality Action’s London Fundraising Board. We heard first-hand how the charity was proactively supporting hospitality people facing incredibly challenging circumstances across the UK.
Despite so much uncertainty at that time, I will never forget the overwhelming sense of hospitality spirit shown by Mark and the entire team at Hospitality Action. They were determined to help as many people as possible, however they could. None of us need reminding how disconnected, isolated and challenged people were feeling at that time.
And whilst the charity focused on providing essential practical, emotional and financial support, I felt there was an opportunity to create something positive that would help hospitality people reconnect, promote the importance of physical and mental health and in turn give back to this incredible charity.
And that’s how it all started.
Sean embraced the idea and together we created Walk for Wellbeing – an initiative wrapped in purpose and designed to bring people together through the outdoors, movement and meaningful conversation.
SW: How did you get involved in the Walk for Wellbeing?
In my roles within operations and Human Resources I was always very aware of the importance of having a robust wellbeing strategy in place, as I have seen many employees struggling with the different aspects of wellbeing such as mental, emotional, social, physical support needs or financial help and where possible I ensured there were plans and strategies in place to support them in house or found expert support such as the Hospitality Action Employee Assistance Programme when we didn’t have the appropriate skills to support them, as I know an employee that feels supported by their employer is more likely to stay working with them.
When Craig contacted me in 2020 during the pandemic, to talk me through his vision for Walk for Wellbeing I knew there would be a lot of hospitality people going through a very tough time, especially mentally, emotionally and financially and felt raising awareness of this and also raising much needed funds to help Hospitality Action to support them was a no brainer to get involved and here we are 7 years later with an even bigger Walk for Wellbeing in 2026.
CP: What have been your most memorable moments from the last seven years?
There are so many memorable moments over the past seven years, with a tremendous feeling of togetherness, achievement and purpose. Because Walk for Wellbeing is so much more than just a walk, it’s an accessible, purposeful initiative created to bring people together and achieve great things.
There is a real genuineness and spirit of community surrounding Walk for Wellbeing too, having people of all ages, backgrounds and sectors join in makes the event not only unique, but very special also.
SW: In your role as President of HR in Hospitality how have you supported the walk?
Walk for Wellbeing & Hospitality Action have been the nominated charity of HR in Hospitality (HRiH) since the start - it is a great partnership as all three are about looking after and supporting hospitality people. HRiH use their annual awards to raise awareness of both great causes to the 350+ HR & operation professionals that attend as well raise funds on the night from the ticket sales, raffle & auction, which has contributed a significant amount each year.
Choosing Walk for Wellbeing & Hospitality Action as your nominated charity, is so easy to do and getting behind Walk for Wellbeing is a great way to bring teams together for a common purpose which includes taking part in the walk or raising much-needed funds in a variety of ways from a cake bake to getting sponsors all to support fellow hospitality people when they most need it.
CP: What does wellbeing mean to you?
For me personally, it’s taken me a fair few years to realise wellbeing is about understanding where and when I am my happiest. It’s how I best look after myself – physically, mentally and emotionally and how I show up day to day for myself and those around me. I have also learnt It’s not about having all the answers at any one time and creating a holistic approach investing time, energy and focus where and when it is needed.
Broadly speaking, Wellbeing is an everyday, whole person thing. In hospitality workplaces specifically, where environments can often be hectic and pressured, a focus on everyday wellbeing should be a fundamental basic. Not least because hospitality stands on the actions of its people.
If we're serious about the wellbeing of hospitality people, then it's not about offering free yoga classes, or being ‘understanding’ in a crisis. It's about creating cultures that treat wellness as an everyday expectation.
SW: How can people get involved in the Walk for Wellbeing this year?
Walk for wellbeing is so much more than a walk - it’s about looking after your own health by walking, raising awareness of the need for wellbeing support in hospitality, and raising funds to support your peers when they need it most across our sector
It’s so easy just register - just sign up on www.walkforwellbeing.org
You can walk your own way from Saturday 10 October (World Mental Health Day), until Sunday 25 October - which could be in your own backyard, with the dog, or your friends and family any where and any distance or you can join one of 20km hosted walks we have this year across 14 locations including Edinburgh, Manchester, London and Cornwall.
So get involved, sign up and don’t just talk the talk, walk the Walk for Wellbeing.
Profound thanks to Craig and Sean for their tireless support and commitment. If you'd like to register for the 2026 Walk for Wellbeing click here. #wevegotyou
