Charity work & supporting the local community
With the hotel forced to close more than once, we were keen to put our skills to good use by supporting those in the local community. We donated food items to both The Runnymede Food Bank and the York Road Homeless Project and our chefs prepared afternoon tea for the Purple Angels at Spelthorne Dementia Support. We were also very pleased to be able to accommodate various key workers whilst they were working at St Peter’s Hospital.
The Runnymede behind closed doors
One positive that came from lockdown was the opportunity for individuals to use their spare time for self-development. We encouraged all team members to look at online courses and to start planning for when the hotel was able to re-open. Here’s what some of them got up to…
- Our Beauty Therapists took part in online courses to keep up to date with the industry.
- Our Front of House Food & Beverage team held training sessions with various wine suppliers via Zoom.
- The Chefs started planning ahead, creating new menus including BBQs, picnics and afternoon tea.
- On-site, the maintenance team re-painted the spa, and added new, larger TVs into bedrooms!
- Those around the hotel continued to look after our wildlife – geese and cats!
Outside of work…
We spoke to a few members of the team to find out what they were up to outside work…
Sue Wolton – General Manager / Group Operations Director
I volunteered as a ‘telephone friend’ for Age UK, having regular telephone calls with elderly people on their own.
Glen Masson – Head Pastry Chef
I worked as a Food Hero for an App called Olio which helps deliver food to people who are unable to visit the supermarkets.
Sarah Dent – Financial System Manager
I carried out volunteer work by delivering food and pharmaceuticals to local people who were unable to go out to collect these themselves.
Millie Harrington – AMOD
I volunteered at a secondary school, processing COVID tests and distributing the results.
Andrew Selwyn – Lounge Manager
As I work as a cub scout leader, we carried out various activities virtually including cooking, arts and crafts and some simple, fun games.