Graeme Cheevers and Dean Banks have been appointed as ambassadors to The BEN, the hospitality and licensed trade charity which provides financial support to people who work in, or who have worked in, the industry.
Now in its 160th year, The Ben’s milestone year was commemorated by two celebratory dinners, one at Unalome and the other at Dulse, as it revealed that it had more applications in seven months in 2024 than in the previous financial year. The Ben gives out cash grants to those in need, whatever that may be for – from rent to food, bills or general living. It has given out more than £6million in individual grants over the last 40 years.
The two chefs will now help raise awareness of the support on offer from The Ben within the industry – everything from financial support to mental health services are available.
Graeme runs Unalome, the Michelin star Glasgow restaurant, and comments, ”I feel privileged to be an ambassador for The Ben – hospitality is all I have ever done or wanted to do as a career. It is so important that we nurture and protect the industry and encourage others to be part of this. With the help from The Ben I’m positive that we can support and encourage growth within the industry.
“I feel the charity is more important than ever now with a lot of the hospitality industry on its knees and businesses closing at a faster rate than ever. It is great to know that there is help out there for people in need.
“The proof is in the pudding as they say, anything that lasts the test of time – in this case 160 years is a massive achievement, few projects last that long. I was oblivious to the longevity of the charity and their support and how much work has been put in to maintain this and help many people. It really is amazing.
Dean Banks has restaurants in Edinburgh and St Andrews including The Pompadour, Dulse, Dulse Leith, Haar and Dune, as well as various other drinks and food related businesses. He comments, ““I was really honoured and pleased to be asked to help spread the message that The Ben is there to help, whether that’s with money, somewhere to go or just support or mental health assistance.”
He added, “The Ben is a fantastic organisation and one I’ve championed for a long time – the work they do isn’t recognised enough. Our trade is a brutal one at times, especially right now with the incredible pressures on people across the board with the cost of living crisis.
“I am really passionate about hospitality in general and of course our amazing food, produce, drinks, venues and PEOPLE in Scotland – we really do lead the world in so many ways. With many businesses struggling and pressure on everyone from staff to owners increasing, it’s vital to have support, somewhere for all of us to turn.
“I will absolutely help all I can with the incredible work The Ben do .”
The Ben’s Chris Gardner, Chief Executive of the the charity said, “It’s fantastic that we’re welcoming two of Scotland’s top chefs on board as ambassadors.
“We want to help as many people as possible and of course kitchens and the restaurant sector in general is very high pressure, so high profile industry figures like Dean and Graeme will absolutely assist in doing that.
“It’s great that they will use their profiles to help spread the word of the charity and the support we can offer to needy people throughout Scotland in difficult times and we all want to thank them for committing to help support us despite the demands on their time already.”
and Chris points out a worrying trend right now. The Ben had 700 applications for grants last year but in the first half of this fiscal year, they have already had more than all of last year – 705 applications from March until October, and another 200 since then so over 900 from March 1 until now.
Chris said: “I’ve been here for 36 years so in that time of course we have helped literally hundreds of people. Anyone who works with a link to the licensed trade can apply for help, be it distilleries, warehouses, restaurants, bars, breweries, hotels etc.
“For every application received, I phone them and speak to them to get their details and then process the applications. If I don’t get them on the phone, I leave a message and email them to contact me. This is a personal, one to one service, quick and easy and money is paid straight into their bank accounts.
“For more complex cases and people who need continued support our team of Ambassadors will visit and report back for any action required. They visit the beneficiaries at least twice a year and keep the social support going, it’s not always about giving money, especially now with the mental health problems. It’s always good to see a friendly face and a willing listener.”
Chris has also seen the nature of those seeking help change hugely, from older retiring staff who had no pension lined up, to young people struggling with general living costs.
“We used to have 250 annual beneficiaries which is now down to 56, when I started people didn’t get company pensions and would retire from the trade with only their state pensions so needed the extra support.
“It was mainly older people we helped then but the tables have turned and we are helping more young people, either single or with families. Also Covid turned everything on its head – we didn’t help with personal debt but now most people can’t afford the basics so we do.
“Lately we have concentrated on getting the word out to younger people in the trade with our social media campaigns as they seem to be struggling with rent, council tax and energy bills in the main. Many are receiving grants of £500 and £1000 depending on need.
“We also give out traditional grants to those who need furniture, white goods, carpets etc. We work with Starter Packs in Glasgow to help people who are just starting out or have a new house and this gives them the basics to start again.”
The Ben have an estate in Pitlochry which was originally intended to give industry workers a break, or a home for those retiring with little income. But that too has changed and it’s now letting people keep their jobs.
“On our estate in Pitlochry traditionally we had retired people living there and lately we have been housing younger people who work in the trade in the area so this help is twofold, we are giving people a roof over their head and helping the businesses retain valuable staff. “We have just let one of the houses to a man who has worked in hospitality for 10 years and lived in his place of work and now he has his own home. There are 18 houses on the estate and one is used for respite and we donate this to Shared Care Scotland to use to allow carers some well deserved respite.”
Picture: Graeme Cheevers and Dean Banks with Chris Gardner of the BEN