The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC), the industry charity supporting drinks and hospitality professionals in need of emotional support, specialist advice and financial assistance, has announced that Chris Welham has been appointed as the organisation’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Chris has worked in hospitality for over 27 years and has held a variety of senior operations, executive and board-level roles in listed, private, not-for-profit, and family businesses. Currently Chief Customer Officer at S4labour and formerly CEO of Wadworth, Chris will assume the role at the beginning of March.
Commenting on the appointment, Ludovick Halik, Licensed Trade Charity chairman, said: “I’m delighted to announce that Chris Welham will be joining the Licensed Trade Charity as its new Chief Executive Officer. With his extensive experience, deep understanding of the sector and undoubted passion for the people driving every facet of the licensed trade, it’s clear Chris is the ideal custodian of this historic institution.
“Chris’ vision for the LTC is an inspiring one and the board is confident that under his management, the charity will continue to adapt and grow to effectively meet the needs of this ever-changing industry and the people working in it.”
Chris is also currently a non-executive director (NED) at Frederic Robinson Ltd and non-executive chair at KAM Media, and he also previously served as a board director of the Pub Governing Body. His charity experience includes time as an industry advisor to the BII where he was also a NED of the BII Awarding Body.
Chris is set to succeed current CEO Jim Brewster, who will be retiring on April 30th, 2024, after 16 years at the Licensed Trade Charity. Brewster will hand over the reins on the 1st March 2024 and will continue to support the organisation during the transition period. During his tenure, sector awareness of the charity has risen from 3% to 27%, and he has been a true inspiration to those who have worked under his leadership.
Jim Brewster said: “I am proud of all that we have achieved at the Licensed Trade Charity and our three schools in my time here, and I am especially proud of the part I have played in the career development of so many of our staff. I am confident that Chris will lead our organisation into an exciting future, and I wish him and the whole team the very best for the future.”
The charity has been helping individuals in need from across the licensed hospitality sector since 1793. Today, the charity assists more people than ever with practical, emotional, and financial support, in addition to running three successful independent schools.
Commenting on his appointment, Chris said “I have long admired the work that the charity does and am thrilled to be taking on the role of CEO of this great organisation. The LTC has been around for over 200 years providing incredible support to people in our sector and I am very much looking forward to working with the team to continue to make a difference to people in need.”
-ENDS-
For more information on the Licensed Trade Charity, please contact Cathy Murray at 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. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, LTC has supported 155k people facing a crisis with practical, emotional, and financial support. However, the charity’s ambition going into 2024 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 support 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 support. 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 grants 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.
Please see supporting imagery in the WeTransfer link here.
For more information on the Licensed Trade Charity, please contact Cathy Murray at Fleet Street:
Third-party news items that are posted on the Guild website’s news section come from press releases received by the Guild. These press releases are posted as they have been received and their publication on the Guild website is intended as an informational service provided to our members and website visitors. As such, the publication of a story from a third-party source is neither an endorsement of the content, nor its sender, by the Guild. For enquiries on any news item, please use the contact details that can be found at the bottom of each post.