More than 1,000 people from across the hospitality industry united this October to Walk for Wellbeing and make a positive difference in support of UK charity Hospitality Action.
Marking its fifth and biggest year to date, and launched on World Mental Health Day, Walk for Wellbeing has raised a remarkable £135,000, making it the charity’s largest annual mass participation fundraiser.
Beyond raising vital funds, this national movement is about emphasising the importance of prioritising one’s own mental health and wellbeing whilst also looking out for that of colleagues. At present, the leading cause of anxiety in the UK is financial worry and debt. Since the start of 2024, Hospitality Action has experienced record high calls to their helplines and grant applications, with the majority citing debt as the biggest trigger of anxiety leading to feelings of hopelessness and mental health issues. Every penny raised will directly benefit hospitality employees and their families facing challenging times.
Created and powered by hospitality talent and recruitment partner mum, in partnership with Caterer.com, Imperial London Hotels, Lifetime Training, Mews and Peoplebank, individuals and teams from across the industry joined hosted 20km walks on Sunday 13 October in nine UK cities including London, Oxford, Bath/Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow for this enjoyable and flexible event.
In addition, hundreds of people chose to ‘Walk It Your Way’ between World Mental Health Day on 10 October and 27 October, raising even more awareness and vital funds for this worthy cause. From walking 10km in a nature reserve or along a local beach with friends and family, to holding walking meetings and team walkabouts, participants came up with a variety of ways to get involved and play their part in supporting the vital work of Hospitality Action. A special highlight this year was a record set by Hospitality Action Ambassador Charlie Hodson, who walked an impressive 155 miles from Norwich to London, raising £3,000 for the charity.
Damien Martin, General Manager of The Parkgate Hotel said: “Bringing Walk for Wellbeing to a new city has truly been one of the highlights of this year. Hospitality Action is an incredible charity that accomplishes so many incredible things. It’s been fantastic to see how the walk has united the hospitality community in Cardiff. For me, the most enjoyable part was being at the finish line, and seeing all those happy, smiling faces with this sense of accomplishment – not just for what they had walked, but for what we, as a city, had achieved through our fundraising.”
Mark Lewis, CEO of Hospitality Action said, “Walking 20km in one go is not to be underestimated, so the fact that so many signed up to this rapidly growing national movement is testament to the importance of giving back. But this incredible event goes way beyond that. It’s also about prioritising one’s own mental health and wellbeing whilst also feeling part of a supportive and united team where open dialogue is actively encouraged.
“Hospitality Action provides as much support as possible to our colleagues, but we can’t do it alone. Support must also come from within the hospitality organisations in which our people work. By working and walking together, we will really make a lasting, positive difference.”
The sixth annual Walk for Wellbeing will take place next October, with hosted walks planned for Sunday 19 October 2025 in cities across the UK.
