Hackney,
18
July
2014
|
16:30
Europe/London

Hackney Hotels to charge a £1 per night voluntary donation - a UK first

Hackney Community Fund

Hotels in Hackney are set to charge visitors a £1 a night voluntary donation - the first of its kind in the UK.

The money will go towards a new community fund to allow local residents to benefit from the growing number of tourists visiting the East End.

Launched in the new events space at the Ace Hotel by the Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe, the Hackney Community Fund is a unique project which will see a voluntary £1 donation added to the bill for each night's stay in local hotels, which is capped at three nights. This fund will be used to support a range of community projects including:

  • Training and Employment schemes: funding a series of training schemes to help develop a range of skills in the hospitality and other sectors supported by the Council’s Ways into Work Programme
  • Supporting cultural events for visitors and members of the local community that celebrate the innovative and creative character of the borough
  • New improvements to public spaces in the borough to encourage community events and activities

The Ace Hotel and Boundary have already signed up to the Hackney Community Fund, which will see hotels collecting the donation as early as August this year. Five more hotels are set to sign-up in the coming months, and discussions are ongoing with hotels across the borough. An estimated £100,000 is expected to be generated in the first year.

Peter Prescott from Boundary, one of the first hotels to sign up to the Hackney Community Fund said: “Boundary is delighted to be one of the founding members of the Hackney Community Fund. We very much look forward to supporting some exciting arts and training projects for local people in Hackney. It’s a great way for our guests to show their support for the positive changes that are happening all around the borough.”

Paul Rogers from Highgate Holdings, one of the hotel partners involved in the Hackney Community Fund said: “The Hackney Community Fund will mean we can make a positive contribution to the lives of local people and help support some very exciting community activities in Hackney. We’re proud to support the creation of the first of these funds in the UK.”

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney
This is the first time a council has gone into partnership with its local hotels for the benefit of the local community, to support local people into employment, improve local public spaces and help celebrate the character of the borough. I’m very pleased that forward-thinking partners in the hospitality sector have joined forces with Hackney Council in developing new ways to support the improvement of the borough.
Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney