Blog. CH&CO join the Summer Challenge.

Our virtual #SummerChallenge kicks off on Friday 9th June and we couldn't be more excited. Sponsored by CH&CO, long-term supporters and advocates of our work, the challenge will see us travel 75,000 miles in a bid to raise £150,000. We caught up with Matt Symonds, Managing Director of Gather & Gather to find out a little more about what they have in store:

Why do you think the hospitality industry needs a charity like Hospitality Action?

Hospitality Action provides a safety net for when people in our industry are in need. Our sector is bouncing back from the difficulties of the last few years but we’re not out of the woods yet. Knowing there’s a dedicated charity that focuses entirely on our sector that has our back, regardless of global situations, can offer a lifeline for anyone facing challenging times.

CH&CO took part in last year’s Back in Business Tour. Were there any memorable moments?

Last year our team’s took part in bike rides, beach and park cleans (combining our sustainability activities) and teams in central locations organised after work walks where team members met up and got the miles in together. In total, the CH&CO team clocked up 2,000 miles.

The launch of last year’s Back in Business Tour coincided with one of our all-company online updates. I was keen to secure a section of the update to help promote the challenge, so I took to my turbo trainer and cycled for the whole 90-minute call. It was quite the talking point throughout the call and helped recruit several more team members.

One of the team, Edel Lewis, racked up 47.1 miles with a mixture of cycling and walking. Reminiscing about the challenge, Edel recalls how on one early morning cycle along the canal, a flock of geese swam alongside her. She was keen to sign them up to help get more miles in for the team but they were only interested in keeping her company, which equally helped her morale as she sped along the towpath.