Opening the door to hospitality: employment routes for people experiencing homelessness

Last Thursday, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity attended Only A Pavement Away’s ‘The Breakthrough & Beyond Conference,’ celebrating one year of operations in the North.

Founder Greg Mangham, who established the charity in 2018, shared the impressive impact they have already made with 712 members placed into employment to date, and 75 of these being in the North West, through the involvement of 100 hospitality businesses.

Only A Pavement Away supports individuals facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans who are struggling to enter the workforce. The charity helps them overcome common barriers to employment by finding jobs within the hospitality industry and providing them with the additional support they may need throughout the process. This could be as simple as a mock interview to build their confidence, or a small financial grant to cover the travel costs of getting to and from an induction day.

Guest panellist, Kwame Kwarteng, Local Integration Lead at Ingeus, discussed how language barriers can be challenge for many individuals seeking employment, however, he highlighted to employers that being bilingual is a positive within the hospitality environment, creating a more diverse and welcoming customer experience.

These are the types of barriers Only A Pavement Away aim to break down through their Learning & Development sessions, which equip people with the employability skills needed in today’s competitive job market. Since 2018, 3052 people have attended these sessions across the country.

We were also fortunate enough to hear first-hand the impact and transformation this opportunity can provide from Kane Bennetto, now working as Restaurant Support at The Alchemist, thanks to the guidance and mentoring provided by the team at Only A Pavement Away. Kane was thrilled to tell us the stories of his first few months in employment and received the Shining Star award in recognition of his efforts.

Kane’s story is just 1 of 75 lives already transformed in the North West alone and is just the beginning for Only A Pavement Away and the forward-thinking hospitality employers, who are working towards a future where stigma is eliminated, and more individuals have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity are proud to have played a small part in the journey and growth of Only A Pavement Away since they launched in Manchester. In May last year, we co-hosted a roundtable with the team, bringing together leaders in hospitality across Greater Manchester to explore the role of the sector in helping move the dial on ending homelessness.

It is great to see how far they have come, and to celebrate their work in Greater Manchester.

Together, we can end homelessness.