GUEST COLUMN: Bob’ll fix it

"You can probably come up with the name of someone you used to work with that you know, or suspect, is having difficulty coping with the demands of life post-drinks industry" – Vanessa Wright, Chivas Brothers

You leave home one morning thinking your career in the drinks industry is going nicely to plan and then BANG – you get hit by a car and wake up in hospital being told you will be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.

Scary, but it could happen to any of us, and who will help you pick up the pieces if it does?

Hopefully, family and friends will rally round, perhaps you have the right kind of insurance cover, and there may be some state support that you can claim. The fact is that many people in the drinks industry would need additional help and support and wouldn’t know where to turn for it.

Perhaps that is why over 120 years ago 13 “good citizens” gathered at Vintners Hall in order to establish The Benevolent as the drinks industry’s charity. They wanted to make a real difference to the lives of those who had worked in the drinks industry, fallen on hard times and needed help. It was about helping their own, loyalty and support. They also believed that they should show leadership by taking positive action to support their industry, encouraging others to do the same and not relying on the state.

If such help was necessary back in Victorian England, then perhaps it is even more relevant today. Traditional support systems can no longer be relied upon and the world seems to be consumed by personal achievement and gain. The “what’s in it for me?” culture has grown and we constantly evaluate things based on what we can get; it’s rarely just about being caring or compassionate.

I have had (and am still having) a great career in the industry and I became involved with The Benevolent because I really wanted to give something back.

I also wanted to try to help evolve this much-loved and supported charity, so that younger people in the industry understand it and want to give their support. I suspect that many people reading this will not know much about their industry charity or even that one exists.

So one of my main challenges this year is communication. I believe it sits at the heart of an organisation and that if we improve and increase our image, profile and reputation then greater support will follow. We need communication to find those in need, to enlist help from companies and individuals, to engage younger people in the industry (as they are the future) and to raise visibility.

We also need to search for those in need, as many of them do not have the knowledge or help to contact The Benevolent, and so never get the help they could. Traditionally, The Benevolent was able to track some of these people down through company records and communications to ex-employees, but this is becoming increasingly difficult.

We also plan to further engage younger people in the industry through the Buddies of The Benevolent, a fundraising committee that was formed in 2005 with the aim of seeking active involvement from them. It is now chaired by Nick Dymoke-Marr from Orbital Wines and has an enthusiastic committee which has already created, promoted and run a number of excellent initiatives. From cocktail bingo to poker evenings, clay pigeon shoots to pub quizzes, BOB is organising events that make money for the charity but are also great for networking and socialising.

We have also created a new Benevolent fundraising committee, which consists of a cross-section of key people from across the industry to come up with new fundraising ideas.

The Benevolent is on hand to help any person or their partner who has been in the industry for more than five years. They can be young, old, retired, ill, pensioners or people in unfortunate circumstances.  Today, The Benevolent makes more than 600 grants (one-offs and regular payments) and manages sheltered accommodation and a care home in Eastbourne.

If you stop to think for a moment, you can probably come up with the name of someone you used to work with that you know or suspect is having difficulty coping with the demands of life post-drinks industry. Just letting The Benevolent have a name and contact point could be all you need to do to help them.

I feel very honoured to be the chairwoman this year and only hope that during my short tenure I am able to help The Benevolent take some small steps forward. If at the end of the year I hear a few more people can explain what The Benevolent does rather than looking blank I will feel some sense of success.

As you will have gleaned from this column, I feel very passionately about The Benevolent. I hope that by penning this article I will prick some consciences, and get companies and individuals to come forward and help, by becoming members, supporting our events, joining BOB, organising a fundraising event or by just providing the name of a person in need.
I do believe that everyone in the industry has a responsibility to help and that we should support our own.

© db January 2007

If you would like to get involved please call Cheng Loo at The Benevolent on 020 7089 3888
or e-mail her at chengloo@thebenevolent.org.uk