The Licensed Trade Charity welcomes the Labour Party manifesto commitments to reform the Apprenticeship Levy and replace business rates as priorities for the hospitality sector and the people working in it.
Chris Welham, Chief Executive of the Licensed Trade Charity said, “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Prime Minister Kier Starmer and the Labour Party on the outcome of the general election. The LTC welcomes the new Labour administration’s intention to improve social wellbeing, along with its commitment to revitalise the hospitality industry.
LTC is the largest Charity supporting the licensed hospitality community, dedicated to transforming lives and unleashing potential for both people in our industry and pupils in our schools. We provide over £1 million in charitable giving annually and are uniquely positioned to detail the challenges facing people in the sector, challenges a new Government must fully understand to effect meaningful change.
We therefore urge the Government to follow through on its manifesto commitments as quickly as possible to support hospitality and enable the conditions for growth in our sector. This will help to improve the mental and financial wellbeing of people working in hospitality. It is vital to recognise that the impact of covid and cost of living crisis is still very much a live issue. In the last year in particular, the LTC has experienced a record number of calls to our helpline, a 43% jump compared to 2022, a strong indicator of how uncertain economic conditions make our work even more essential.
The three independent schools we operate provide an important source of funds to support our charitable activity. I call on the Government to further scrutinise the many unintended consequences that will arise from adding VAT to private school fees. A decline in tuition income for the Charity would impact the number of people in need of help that we are able to support, and inevitably lead to an increased burden on the state.
I look forward to supporting the new Government to help improve the lives of people working in the licensed trade and unleash the economic potential of our sector.”
-ENDS-
For more information on the Licensed Trade Charity, please contact Fleet Street:
About the Licensed Trade Charity
Founded in 1793, the Licensed Trade Charity has been helping drinks people for over 200 years, however, the work the charity does for the industry has never been more important. The LTC has supported thousands of people facing a crisis with practical, emotional and financial support the charity’s ambition is to spread the word even further about the grants and services it can provide so that it can help even more people in need across the drinks trade.
Central to the Licensed Trade Charity’s service is its invaluable 24-hour free helpline that is there day and night to give people the help they need, whenever they need it. Many reach out to the LTC helpline for support with their mental wellbeing, with the charity providing practical guidance and emotional care. However, the helpline and website are vital first steps, allowing the Licensed Trade Charity to assess the care needed for its users. Many of its beneficiaries come first through the helpline and then speak to a specialist support team or trained counsellors for support in all areas of social, mental wellbeing and financial aid who will provide help on a confidential basis.
The spectrum of support drinks people can receive from the Licensed Trade Charity is vast, it really is a one stop shop, covering everything from employment advice to one off grant up to £5,000 that might go towards helping with rent arrears, having a new washing machine fitted or providing new school uniform for children. Of course, the level of support industry professionals can receive is dependent upon length of service and grants are means tested but all resources are completely free. The charity even runs three fully funded independent schools, providing education to many children from the sector. Through its bank of specialists and dedicated staff, the Licensed Trade Charity is perfectly positioned to stop an issue turning into a crisis.
You can find out more about the Licensed Trade Charity by visiting its website https://www.
The Licensed Trade Charity helpline is 0808 801 0550.
Licensed Trade Charity is registered with the Charities Commission Registration no. 230011.
Supporting imagery available to download here.
For more information on the Licensed Trade Charity, please contact Fleet Street:
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