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Only A Pavement Away hits employment milestone
Hospitality charity Only A Pavement Away has announced the placement of its 500th member into work since its conception in 2018.
The charity, which supports those facing homelessness and wanting to rebuild their lives through employment, has calculated the milestone of placing 500 people into roles has contributed £25.6 million into the UK economy through government support, financial independence, and increased household expenditure.
Only A Pavement Away was established by Greg and Gill Mangham on World Homelessness Day in 2018, and provides people experiencing barriers to employment with support and resources, covering everything from training and development to financial grants, to secure long-term employment in the hospitality sector.
Support
Since it began, the charity has supported over 1,800 candidates at recruitment fairs and workshops, and has supplied £50,000 in grants to help with everyday necessities such as shopping, travel fares, clothing and rent.
Only A Pavement Away’s impact has been significant, providing stability through employment for the people they help, an important resource for hospitality businesses that continue to struggle with recruitment, while adding money back into the UK economy.
In addition, recent data from the charity has shown a strong retention rate with 60% of members remaining in employment for more than a year, which is more than the average tenure of a hospitality professional. The average length of service is 53 weeks.
The charity aims to change perceptions about what a typical candidate for a role would be, and connects employment partners with hard-working individuals. It has recently expanded its operations into Manchester and Scotland, taking its cause UK-wide, and helping yet more people to rebuild their lives and reintegrate safely back into society.
Incredible
Ben, who is an Only A Pavement Away Member and now a Comis Chef said that the charity had been “incredible” in both setting up and guiding him through the process of starting a new job — as well as support once in the role.
He said it had “checked in” with him and “made sure I’m doing ok” as well as helping “with making the transition back into employment achievable”.
“I’ve no concerns about reaching out and have truly enjoyed my time with them,” he added.
Greg Mangham, Only A Pavement Away Founder and CEO said: “We are delighted to announce that we have successfully placed 500 members in workplaces across the hospitality industry in as little as five years – we didn’t expect it to grow to this size so soon.
“As our number of members is growing, so is awareness of our mission, which is vital in continuing to help people facing homelessness into stable workplaces, and, in turn, create happier, safer lives. We want to thank everyone who has made this possible – from referral charities to our employer partners – who make it possible for us to have this positive impact on these communities”.
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