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Drinks Trust: 31% of grant recipients already redundant

Nearly a third of recipients of The Drinks Trust Covid-19 Emergency Grant had already been made redundant as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the charity has revealed.

The Drinks Trust Covid-19 Emergency Fund has helped 1,750 people

The Drinks Trust Covid-19 Emergency Grant was established in April this year to help those within the drinks trade in financial hardship due to the pandemic.

The charity raised more than £400,000 (US$498,000) and to date has been able to help 1,750 beneficiaries with a £250 (US$312) grant. Of those recipients, 31% had already been made redundant due to Covid-19.

Further analysis from The Drinks Trust also showed that in the first five months of 2020, the charity awarded more than £800,000 (US$997,000) in financial wellbeing grants – up from £627,339 (US$781,875) across the whole of 2019.

Further statistics show 70% of successful grant applicants said they were the sole household earner, and the average age of grant recipients was 29.

Almost a fifth (19%) of grant beneficiaries had at least one dependent child.

Michael Saunders, chairman of The Drinks Trust, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us at this very difficult time. The response from the drinks industry in terms of donations and fundraising initiatives has been incredible without which we would not have been able to help so many people.

“However, we still have so much more to do. The Drinks Trust is funded by industry donor businesses, so none of the support we have been able to deliver [would] have been possible without the generosity and support from all areas of the drinks industry. The Drinks Trust supports drinks industry people.”

Trade body UK Hospitality has warned further jobs will be lost and businesses will fold unless the UK government intervenes financially to resolve the commercial rent crisis between tenants and landlords.

Hospitality businesses in the UK are due to pay their next rent instalment on 24 June. UK Hospitality chief executive said the quarterly rent payment was the “biggest threat” to the industry’s recovery and future.

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