Only A Pavement Away hits major milestone

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 16 July, 2024

Only A Pavement Away, the charity which supports people facing homelessness to rebuild their lives through employment, has announced the placement of its 500th member into work.

The charity recently hit the milestone after launching back in 2018. It was founded with the idea of connecting forward-thinking employers in the hospitality industry with individuals facing homelessness, thus opening up career opportunities while also addressing hospitality’s recruitment struggles.

The charity calculates that the impact of placing 500 people into employment has added £25.6 million to the British economy so far through a mixture of reduced government support, financial independence and increased household expenditure.

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“We are delighted to announce that we have successfully placed 500 members in workplaces across the hospitality industry in as little as five years – we didn’t expect it to grow to this size so soon,” Greg Mangham, the charity’s founder and CEO, said.

“As our number of members is growing, so is awareness of our mission, which is vital in continuing to help people facing homelessness into stable workplaces, and in turn create happier, safer lives. We want to thank everyone who has made this possible – from referral charities to our employer partners – who make it possible for us to have this positive impact on these communities”.

Only A Pavement Away was established by Greg and Gill Mangham on World Homelessness Day six years ago with the aim of removing barriers to employment. Support and resources range from training and development to financial grants while helping to secure long-term employment in hospitality. Since it began, the charity has supported over 1,800 candidates at recruitment fairs and workshops and has supplied £50,000 in grants to help with everyday necessities such as shopping, travel fares, clothing and rent.

Figures demonstrate a strong retention rate: 60% of members have remained in employment for more than a year – higher than the average tenure of a hospitality professional. The average length of service is 53 weeks.

Only A Pavement Away also aims to change perceptions about ‘typical’ candidate profiles. With a focus on connecting employment partners with hard-working individuals, the charity has recently expanded into Manchester and Scotland, while partnering with the likes of Greene King and The Ivy Collection.

An Only A Pavement Away Member and now comis chef, known as Ben, said: “Only A Pavement Away has been incredible both in setting up and guiding me through the process of starting my new job and with support once I’d begun working again. They’ve checked in and made sure I’m doing ok and helped with making the transition back into employment achievable. I’ve no concerns about reaching out and have truly enjoyed my time with them.”

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