When Jim Stephenson says he has "the best job in the UK" you have to wonder why. He is, after all, chief executive of the charity Hospitality Action, and charities are not having an easy time of it at the moment.
The British public no longer support voluntary organisations in the way they once did and fundraising is now a competitive business. Not only that, but Stephenson has taken over an organisation that has, arguably, lost its way in recent years. Is he sure he has the best job in the UK?
"Oh yes, without a doubt," he replies. "Hospitality Action has a 166-year history of looking after people. The work we do makes a difference."
This is clearly important to Stephenson. He joined the charity at the beginning of the year (
Caterer, 30 January) after a career in hotel management, most recently with Six Continents. "At 54, I thought it was time to give something back," he says.
But running a charity is a tough call, particularly when it's an organisation such as Hospitality Action, which has been through a period of uncertainty. Known for years as the Hotel and Catering Benevolent Association (HCBA), the charity changed direction in 1998 under the leadership of chief executive Alison Rogers. A new name and a new corporate identity followed, along with a move away from sheltered housing, the bedrock of the charity's work in the past.
The revolution left a few scars among supporters who felt that the traditions of the HCBA had been damaged. But, as Hospitality Action president Garry Hawkes says, the organisation started to become "a charity for the 21st century - well-structured and ready to move forward."
Rogers left at the start of 2001 and Tony Allen from Whitbread took over. Further changes followed, including a streamlining of head office staff and resources. When Allen moved on at the end of last year, he left behind an efficient set-up, poised for the next stage of development.
So where will Stephenson take it?"Hospitality Action is the industry's best-kept secret," he says. "Everyone knows that the charity has changed its name but no one knows what it does. My mission over the next two years is to tell people what we do."
Stephenson has started his awareness campaign by talking to regional hotel associations, but the real push will come on 19 May when the charity launches its first membership drive.
There will be three categories of membership - individual at £25 a year (less than 7p a day, Stephenson points out); corporate membership, where companies pay £50 a year per business unit, and finally "guardian" membership for invited individuals, at £100 a year.
Stephenson hopes that the membership scheme will have two benefits. "The publicity surrounding it will raise awareness, and the scheme itself will raise funds. Annual revenues currently stand at £900,000 a year. We hope to take that up to £2.5m within two years."
That may not be easy. There are 166,000 organisations registered with the Charity Commission and they all compete for the attention of a public that has a declining interest in giving. According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, only 67% of the population now make charitable donations, compared with 80% in the early 1990s. The total amount of money given in 2000 was £5.76b. While this figure is up on the previous year, it is still only the same as 1993 and so, in real terms, shows a decline.
"It will be easier to raise funds when we explain the focus to our work," Stephenson says. "We have started publicising some of the case studies where we have helped individuals, such as the chef who caught a rare virus while on holiday in Africa and went blind. We helped pay for his retraining as a computer programmer. And then there's the Ark Foundation and the ball."
The Ark Foundation is a separate charity, set up two years ago to educate the hospitality industry about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Supported by the Savoy Educational Trust, the Ark sponsors training seminars in companies and colleges. Joining forces will allow Hospitality Action to adopt a clearly identifiable project, and something that "donors and members can relate to".
Expectations are also high for the Hospitality Ball, the annual fundraising dinner/dance. This year, for the first time, the
Caterer & Hotelkeeper projects team is helping organise the event. It is hoped that more than £100,000 will be raised.
Stephenson has his work mapped out, but will he still think he has the best job in the UK in two year's time?
"Definitely," he says. "You know, the Hospitality Action board asked me to think of three words that describe what the charity is about. I came up with one - life. It's because we are the hospitality industry's life support that my job is the best."
Contacts
Hospitality Action
166 High Holborn
London WC1V 6TT
Tel: 020 7301 2923
info@hospitalityaction.org.uk
Hospitality Action Ball
5 September 2003
Grosvenor House hotel
Park Lane, London
Contact: Shiva Hobson at
Caterer & Hotelkeeper on 020 8652 3094