AS PART of its Village Green sustainability programme, Village Hotel Aberdeen is excited to announce its charity partners for 2024: Sense, Sue Ryder, and Carefree.
Village is partnering with Sense, a national disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities and communication needs. Sense believes that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fill their potential.
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Village’s formal partnership with Sense follows various fundraising efforts last year. In December, Village hotels across the country collected second-hand clothing to sell in Sense charity shops as part of its annual Winter charity campaign, raising nearly £2,000 and diverting 1.6 tons of clothes from landfill. In July, a mammoth ‘Spin-a-thon’ – whereby blindfolded hotel staff took to spin cycles – raised over £2,000.
As part of the partnership, as well as fundraising events, Village team members will embark on a year-long programme of activities and workshops to improve accessibility and upskill their customer service offer, learning to better understand the needs of staff and customers with disabilities. Workshops include Disability Awareness Training, specific workshops for gym staff on Connecting Differently Through Sport and basic British Sign Language training. Sense will also support Village on the development of its Accessibility Policy and its commitment to becoming a Disability Confident employer, in which action is taken to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
Matt Lock, Associate Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy, Sense, said: “We are delighted to partner with Village Hotels. Too many people with complex disabilities face a battle to find the right support.
“Every day, Sense empowers thousands of people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world, and fulfil their potential. Working alongside Village Hotel Club will raise vital funds, enabling Sense to reach more people as no one should be left out of life.”
In addition, Village’s partnership with Sue Ryder, which makes sure everyone approaching the end of their life or living with grief can access the support they need, sees the launch of Grief Kind Spaces. When a hotel has been selected to be a Grief Kind Space it will provide a meeting space every week for a couple of hours so that Sue Ryder can host a Grief Kind Space, giving people who are grieving access to informal, in person, peers-to-peer support.
Linda Allen, Deputy Director of Fundraising, Sue Ryder, said: “We are delighted to be working with Village Hotels on an exciting partnership that will ensure Sue Ryder can be there for more people when it matters.
“This partnership will help ensure that people approaching the end of their life or living with grief can access the support they need when they need it. Village Hotels will also be supporting with the national rollout of Sue Ryder’s Grief Kind Spaces, alongside hosting a calendar of fundraising activities to help raise funds for the expert and compassionate care, that we are so proud to provide to people across the UK.
“In return, Sue Ryder will support Village Hotel colleagues who have been impacted by grief. We want to thank everyone at Village Hotels for their generous support, and we look forward to working on this impactful partnership together.”
Finally, Village Hotels is partnering with Carefree, which transforms vacant accommodation into vital breaks for unpaid carers. Village will provide free respite breaks for carers across the UK, following a significant commitment in 2023. Last year, Village donated 984 room nights to carers, worth over £105,000.
Miruna Harpa, Hospitality Partnerships Manager, Carefree, said: “I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Village Hotels for their partnership. Their commitment to offering unpaid carers the chance to recharge and have a well-deserved break is truly inspiring.
“By providing them with the opportunity to take a much-needed respite, Village Hotels isn’t just offering a break; they’re giving these unsung heroes the recognition and support they truly deserve. We are deeply thankful for their steadfast commitment and generosity, which have made a significant difference in the lives of those who dedicate themselves to caring for others.”
Kelli Turner, Director of ESG, Village Hotel Club, said: “At Village we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the community and I’m thrilled to be working with Sense, Sue Ryder and Carefree to take our community commitments to the next level. It’s about stepping up and providing tailored support for the most vulnerable people in our communities. Our Village Green community programme aims to deliver a transformative impact to those that need it most.”
Robert Brown, General Manager, Village Hotel Club, Aberdeen, said: “We’re very excited to be working with Sense, Sue Ryder and Carefree in Aberdeen. As a local hub where the people of Aberdeen come together, we look forward to providing valuable support and making a difference to the lives of our community members.”
