Hilton foundations grant nearly £900,000 to UK charities building hospitality skills

Hilton's two charitable foundations are funding 12 UK charities and organisations with nearly £900,000 this year, with most of the money aimed at helping young people gain skills, experience and routes into work, Hilton said.

The Hilton UK Foundation, an independent UK charity, has granted £600,000 to 11 organisations. Recipients include Springboard, Team Domenica, The Burnt Chef Project, Only A Pavement Away, Fair Shot, The Right Course and the Down Syndrome Association's WorkFit programme. Separately, the Hilton Global Foundation provided £260,000 ($350,000) to Felix, the food redistribution charity formed from the merger of The Felix Project and FareShare, to fully fund its Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme. Apprentices from the programme recently worked alongside the culinary team at Hilton London Canary Wharf, their first experience in a professional hotel kitchen.

Beyond the grants, Hilton said it is on track to support more than 4,000 young people across the UK this year through work placements, careers events, mock interviews, workshops and hotel visits, delivered with schools, colleges and partners. With Springboard, it plans an event in early 2027 for students, parents, teachers and careers advisers to explore hospitality careers.

According to the release, Hilton-commissioned research found 76% of business leaders would be more likely to hire someone with hospitality experience over an equally qualified candidate, and 81% believe young people struggle to gain the experience employers expect without access to entry-level roles. Hilton cited nearly one million young people in the UK not in education, employment or training.

"Hospitality has the power to open doors for people who might otherwise be overlooked," said Stephen Cassidy, senior vice president UK & Ireland at Hilton and chairman of the Hilton UK Foundation.