With increased emotional and financial pressures being placed on those who work in the drinks industry, The Licensed Trade Charity has unveiled a brand-new campaign, ‘Because Everyone Needs A Little TLC,’ to drive greater awareness of the services the LTC offers and to encourage more industry professionals to access support when in need.

It is estimated that around 250,000 people working in the licensed trade are in need of support at any one time. Although awareness of the Licensed Trade Charity has increased in recent years, research has found that the majority of people working in the drinks industry are still unaware of the support they can access from the charity. ‘Because Everyone Needs A Little TLC,’ has been launched to impactfully communicate how the Licensed Trade Charity can help, who can access LTC services and to encourage those working in the licensed trade to seek support earlier to prevent an issue turning into a crisis.

The new campaign from the LTC is being supported by senior leaders throughout the industry, who will kick off the campaign with a thunderclap across social media on Monday 20th March, with further activity delivered by the charity and its partners across social and digital channels, trade events, PR and advertising. The charity will also be distributing material to over 2,000 businesses working in the sale, service, production or distribution of alcoholic drinks, to further communicate the services available, which includes emotional support, specialist guidance and financial grants.

Paula Smith, Head of Marketing at the Licensed Trade Charity said, “With the cost-of-living crisis biting and the hospitality industry facing continued challenges, we are very aware this is a tough time for many working in the drinks trade. However, if you are struggling, there is free support available from the Licensed Trade Charity.”

“With the launch of this new campaign, ‘Because Everyone Needs a Little TLC,’ we are determined to reach more people who work, or have worked, in the sale, service, production and distribution of alcoholic drinks, and encourage greater usage of our services among those who need them. Whether you or your colleague requires emotional support, specialist guidance or a financial grant, we implore you to speak to us because we can stop an issue turning into a crisis, and help you get you back to your best."

The launch of this new campaign comes as the Licensed Trade Charity releases its usage figures for 2022, the results of which show that drinks people accessing LTC services since the pandemic has remained markedly high, with the charity helping 36,000 people in 2022, bringing the total number of people helped since the start of 2020 up to 155k. Last year alone, financial support awarded by the Licensed Trade Charity through grants and services reached £1.17 million.

Calls to the charity’s helpline has also sustained very high numbers with the Licensed Trade Charity receiving 3,173 calls last year, up from 2,061 in 2021 and 1,037 in 2020. Of the calls last year, 63% were related to mental health.

The “superpower” of the industry is when it works together, delegates heard at the National Pubwatch Conference, which was held in Swindon this week.
This was the view of BII CEO Steve Alton who said that “Collaboration and partnership are key” for the pub industry and late-night economy. 

“Our superpower as a sector is when we all come together,” he said.

He highlighted the success of collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic and presenting a united message to Government when the industry needed support. 

“Part of that collaboration for the first time was getting the Government to recognise the unique role of hospitality beyond its economic contribution of £42bn a year,” he said. 

“Even beyond the 900,000 people employed in the pub sector or the mere three million in wider hospitality the really defining characteristic was the community and the social value that our sector has.”

He added that having this type of collaboration is also “fundamental” in improving late-night safety. 

Alton raised concerns about the survival of many businesses in the current economic climate. He said that the loss of some business would have huge impacts to the local economies, employment and the supply chain. 

“I would even argue to safety in the wider economy because having a vibrant, professionally-run hospitality is key for providing that backbone for societal issues we are trying to tackle currently,” he added. 

“It has never been tougher.” 

His view that partnership is crucial for the safety and success of the late-night economy was supported by the National Pubwatch of the Year Reading Pubwatch.  

“Pubwatch is a voluntary organisation. It should be run by licensees, for licensees and respect should be given that it is a standalone organisation,” Reading Pubwatch honorary chair Bill Donne told delegates.

“But it really needs support from partners, be it from the licensing officers at the council or from the police, but also other forums such as the local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), night time economy partnerships and so on.” 

He added that it is crucial for pubwatch members to have representation in other forums within the night-time economy and highlighted the success of this approach for Reading Pubwatch, which works in partnership with all stakeholders in the night-time economy, including the council, licensing department, trading standards, health and safety, police and fire and rescue. 

Donne also highlighted that pubwatches need “tenacity” and “resilience” to succeed.

“If you are running a pubwatch it won’t always go your way but you have to keep at it. That is how Reading has lasted for 20-years and we are building a legacy that we feel confident will bring us forward into the future,” he said. 

Donne pointed out the range of resources and support that National Pubwatch can provide and advised licensees to use the free training video and materials to support their businesses.

The prestigious National Pubwatch awards were handed out on the day including the National Pubwatch Award of Merit, sponsored by GBG, which rewards individuals that have contributed to the success of pubwatch schemes.

This was given to former Honorary Secretary of the All-party Parliamentary Beer Group and former vice chairman of Best Bar None Robert Humphreys, MBE, for his contribution to partnership working.

The prestigious Malcolm Eidmans award, sponsored by Poppleston Allen, which recognises the outstanding contribution made by a police officer or member of police staff in supporting Pubwatch was given to Police Sergeant Simon Hay who works with Orkney Pubwatch. 

National Pubwatch also gave a Bravery and Meritorious conduct Award to Alan Gray, a Norwich security officer, who stepped in to save the lives of people on a night-out after a man attacked people with a knife.

The conference also covered a legal update covering many topics including Martyns Law, agent of change, the new Sec 182 Guidance and Laughing Gas reforms which were presented by Gary Grant (Francis Taylor Building)  and Jonathan Smith (Poppleston Allen). There were also inputs from Insp Hayley Crawford of Nottinghamshire Police on the Ask for Angela Campaign and from the Home office on The Enough Campaign and Digital ID and technology and how it may be used with Age verification in the future.

Beds and Bars has partnered with safety social network SafeUP to create a more secure, accessible environment for women in venues across Europe. Belushi’s Bars and St Christopher’s Inns hostels will become ‘Safe Places’ for women using the SafeUP app, and both customers and staff will be encouraged to join SafeUP’s growing community.

SafeUP, founded in 2019, is on a mission to build a powerful network in which every woman feels more safe. Women joining the community gain access to an app which enables users to call specially trained local women Guardians, see ‘Safe Spaces’ nearby, and apply to become a Guardian themselves.

Beds and Bars staff will benefit from specialised training developed by SafeUP which helps to raise awareness and prevent incidences of sexual harassment, as well as providing tools for employees to become active bystanders and support those who feel unsafe.

Customers at Belushi’s Bars and St Christopher’s Inns hostels will see posters across the venues introducing SafeUP’s work and including a QR code to download the safety network app. For women and girls in new, foreign cities SafeUP’s Guardians can be a much-needed reassurance, as this SafeUP member found;

“I was alone on a business trip in a foreign city. Feeling desperate, I decided to use the app - and it worked! A nice guardian asked me if everything was fine and made sure I was okay.”

Last year, over 80% of women responding to a YouGov survey said they wanted more safety procedures in bars and pubs. Beds and Bars’ core values include safety and security, but the organisation realises more needs to be done to protect women across the hospitality industry;

“Whilst we’re proud of how inclusive our venues already are, we recognise that there is always room for improvement in how we create a safe and welcoming environment - as well as how we provide useful information on how to travel a city or country with safety in mind - for women and girls especially. That’s why we’re delighted to partner with SafeUP and spread the word about their safety network which has the very real potential to save lives.” - Sophie Herbert, Director of Marketing, Beds and Bars.

 

Neta Schreiber, CEO and Co-founder of SafeUP, said; “SafeUP is here in order to unite women under the common goal of mutual protection, safety and empowerment. Every woman deserves the right to feel that she is in control of her destiny - to travel the world fearlessly; to go dancing in a nightclub, or even simply to go on a walk late at night. Together with Beds and Bars we are raising awareness of the issue at hand and providing women across Europe with SafePlaces that are available 24/7.”

Today’s Spring Budget Statement offers little comfort for BII members, running pubs at the heart of every community across the UK. The Chancellor’s specific reference to “the great British pub” as “one of our most treasured community institutions”, was not matched with the vital ongoing support needed for pubs paying excessive energy charges, leaving many facing imminent business failure as meaningful Government support falls away at the end of the month.

“Many of our members had no choice but to take unfair and untenable energy contracts, when prices were at their highest from last summer, and the impact of this combined with wider inflation and wary consumers with less disposable income, has left their businesses fragile and facing an uncertain future.

“Without further support from Government, Ofgem must now step in urgently to tackle the energy suppliers holding our sector hostage with sky high standing charges and energy prices that will in many cases be 3 to 4 times that of 2021 rates. Forcing suppliers to allow businesses to recontract at the much lower rates now being seen in the market needs to be prioritised, as without it, many otherwise viable pubs will be forced to close.

“The freeze on duty rates in the short term, and the increase on Draught Relief from 5% to 9.2% in the summer will be welcome, if felt directly by pubs. In addition however, the actual impact will depend heavily on the RPI rise that will be applied alongside this relief from 1st August 2023.

“The positive steps taken by Government to support families with enhanced childcare support, a freeze on fuel duty and other measures, may provide some confidence to allow consumer spending to rise, but for the immediate future, pubs will be facing significant trading challenges. 

“Our pubs provide accessible, skilled jobs in every community and will be key to providing flexible opportunities in every area of the UK, aligning with the Government’s policies on getting people back into meaningful employment. They can only do this if they are supported to thrive as local businesses and this Budget has absolutely missed the opportunity to help pubs struggling to cope with a perfect storm of challenges.

“Outside of the immediate issues our members are facing, we will continue to make the case for a full overhaul of the outdated and unfair tax system that affects our pubs, specifically VAT and longer term Business Rate reform.”

It was my privilege as the then Chief Executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) in 2019 to have a long chat with Harry at our Summer Lunch, on that day celebrating his 38 years of membership of the BII, in front of 900 of his peers. From 1981 to 1990 Harry was general secretary of the National Association of Licensed House Managers (NALHM) where we first met at NALHM meetings, when I was just a junior Area Manager for Friary Meux in Guildford in the early 80’s. He became a founder member of the BII in 1981 and despite living in Italy he tried to come back every year to attend our Summer lunch.

Harry was a wonderful man to talk to, not only about pubs, but his involvement with the Labour Party, his continuous fight on behalf of British expats living in Italy as well as his work with the Italy Star Association. Harry was awarded with an MBE in 2014 for his work in identifying service personnel killed in WW2. He was better known in later life for his campaigning work against Brexit and the so called 15-year rule which meant Brits who had been out of the country for more than 15 years lost the right to vote. He won a great victory in 2022 with the passage of the Elections Act allowing expats to continue to vote. In recognition of his service to foreign British nationals he was awarded an OBE in 2021.

Last year at the age of 101, WW2 veteran Harry, who landed and fought at the Battle of Anzio in 1944 was asked to be the last to sign a book of condolence before the Queen’s funeral. The Defence Attaché Col. Mark Smith travelled to Harry’s home in Porto D’ Ascoli about three hours from Rome, to arrange the signing.

Harry loved the British pub and was desperately worried about the number of pubs failing each year. When in 2021 the editor of the BII magazine Kate Oppenheim interviewed him, Harry said “pubs are a great part of this country. Other parts of Europe have tried to copy them, but the true spirit of a British pub is never captured there because here they are an inherent part of their communities. They are about people, both those that work in them and those that visit them”. This was as true in Harry’s early days with NAHLM as it is now. 

Harry loved life and loved pubs just as we all do at the BII. He will be missed by me and all that knew him, and the Summer Event will be all the poorer without his company.