The Portman Group always seeks to showcase and highlight the many examples of social responsibility within the alcohol and wider hospitality industry. In this blog, we invited the Drinks Trust to explain and demonstrate the valuable work they do for the sector’s most important asset – its workers.
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The Drinks Trust is the charity dedicated to the drinks and hospitality workforce. It strives to empower our industry through services designed to assist financially, restore well-being and develop skills, and do so with compassion and respect. In doing so, The Drinks Trust seeks to create an equitable industry where opportunities to thrive are open to all.
Over the years, especially since the Covid pandemic hit, we have expanded our services to meet the industry’s ever-evolving needs. Today, we offer a wide range of resources, including hardship grants, mentorship, guidance from licensed therapists, advice on mindful drinking, and more. Ultimately, we aim to provide comprehensive support: emotional, financial, practical, and vocational to meet the needs of our industry’s workforce; our community.
Since Covid hit, The Drinks Trust has helped fivefold more beneficiaries than before the pandemic (around 5,000 people a year).
Restore – well-being services
The Drinks Trust’s Restore service strives to equip the people of the drinks industry with tools and resources for healthy living in both mind and body. Our 24/7 confidential helpline sits at the heart of our wellness services, allowing us to connect individuals seeking help with professional insight. Each call is answered by a qualified counsellor who can give in-the-moment guidance and referrals to additional forms of support, from further one-to-one counselling sessions to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), treatment for sleep and insomnia, and mindful drinking courses. To find out more about Restore: https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk/get-help/restore
Assist – financial support
Financial hardship and debt pressure can impact every aspect of life, including mental health and family relationships. That’s why we offer financial assistance to trade members who have fallen on hard times. Our Assist services provide hardship grants to people meeting our financial criteria, helping with costs such as household bills and funding purchases of food, home equipment, and more. Through The Drinks Trust Helpline, we are also able to connect those in need of financial advice with debt specialists. To find out more about Assist: https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk/get-help/assist
Develop, Education and Training
With the drinks and hospitality industry facing a significant lack of skilled staff in the wake of Brexit and the pandemic, building our industry’s workforce is more crucial than ever. The Develop programme will bring new talent to the trade while helping people out of long-term hardship. Officially launched in 2022, Develop offers individuals educational opportunities, resources, and bursaries to enter the industry or learn new skills to grow their careers. We work with carefully selected providers and brand partners to deliver a variety of training options, from generalist workshops covering skills such as CV writing, to specialist courses in bartending, brewing, distillation, and more. In the first year of operations, Develop trained 1,000 individuals. To find out more about Develop: https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk/get-help/develop
The Drinks Community
The Drinks Community is the only dedicated digital platform for people in the drinks hospitality industry to network, share ideas, and upskill. Our free-to-join interactive space allows members to take part in industry-specific conversations, seek and provide mentorship, and tap into expert resources. Through the Drinks Community, we also run in-person events for professional development and networking, connecting the trade both online and off. To find out more about Drinks Community: https://www.drinkscommunity.org.uk/
Equal Measures
The Drinks Trust is the official delivery partner of Equal Measures, an initiative focused on fostering greater equity in the drinks trade. Equal Measures provides education and mentorship for individuals from minority ethnicities and other marginalised backgrounds, giving participants the tools to build long-term careers in the industry. The initiative also empowers
businesses to re-evaluate their internal practices and prioritise diversity and inclusion in their workplaces. To find out more about Equal Measures: https://www.equalmeasuresuk.org/
Contact us today to find out more about our services, become a partner, join our events, and more.
Helpline: 0800 9154610