Accent on youth

FOR many people, the Hotel and Catering Benevolent Association (HCBA) conjures up images of elderly industry employees who have fallen upon hard times. But Alison Rogers, HCBA chief executive, has plans to change that outdated perception.

"People think the HCBA is about old people, so we're trying to give it a new lease of life," says Rogers, who took on the role of chief executive in June 1998. "It's going to have a new sense of vision and purpose - to get people into the industry - and be seen as a more youthful organisation both in itself and the people it serves."

Although serving sick and elderly former hospitality employees is part of the organisation's work, many people do not realise that the HCBA will help people throughout their careers, not just when they end.

Take, for instance, the PM Club in London's Earls Court, providing accommodation for 16- to 24-year-old entrants to the industry. First set up in 1946 and at that time located in St Martin-in-the-Fields church near Trafalgar Square, the club relocated to its present address in 1982 with the aid of a £2m grant from the Housing Association.

Safe and secure home

"The aim of the club is to give a safe and secure home for young hospitality workers," says Rogers. "It is well provided for and, being central, is convenient for the West End, where many residents work split shifts."

There are currently 106 members living at the club in 64 twin or triple rooms, but there are plans to expand the number of rooms. Although the majority of residents are male, women have been able to join since 1984 and 33 now reside at the club.

Residents pay £55 per week in rent, which includes electricity and hot water. "We try to make it as cheap as possible," says Peter Pound, who has been resident manager of the club for 18 years. "The average wage of a young, relatively unskilled entrant to the industry is £150 net per week, although the restaurant and hotel scene in London has changed dramatically over the years and lots more places pay higher wages."

The rent covers all the running costs of the club, so it is not totally dependant on the HCBA, although increased financial support was required from the organisation during the 1980s recession.

There is no such shortfall at present, with about 50 people on a waiting list for rooms, most of whom hear about the club through word of mouth. "This facility ought to be replicated elsewhere because it is so much in demand," says Rogers, who believes the PM Club is the only such place in the country for young people.

A club, not a hostel

Pound is anxious that the club is not perceived as a hostel. "The word hostel sends out the wrong message," he says. "It is a club for professional young caterers which provides a safe environment for a young person's first couple of years in London."

Members tend to stay at the club for two or three years. Facilities include a multigym with £30,000-worth of equipment, most of it donated, laundry facilities, a pool room and a conference room with a computer. There are vending machines and a microwave for snacks, but no other food is provided.

There are rules and regulations. "The safety of the residents is paramount. We have zero tolerance of drugs, and parents like that," says Pound. The safety aspect is also important to Rogers. "Parents need to be confident their children are OK," she says.

Job vacancies are advertised on the notice board and Rogers is keen to promote the club as a source for workers. "The industry needs to realise there is a reliable, trained job source in the people here," she says. Plans for the future include a database of ex-members who may wish to recruit present members.

Ex-members often return to the club as staff, of whom there are four, all living in. Pound has three assistant managers, aged 23-28, who have all worked in the industry and are former residents of the club. "Because of this, staff tend to have a good relationship with the residents."

Ruston Toms is one ex-member who returned as an assistant manager and is full of praise for the club. "Young people working at hotels can be vulnerable," he says. "They can fall in with the wrong people and the hotels don't care so long as they do their jobs."

Toms considers himself fortunate to have found the PM Club, which he did through industry recruitment agency Berkeley Scott. A trained chef, Toms was offered a job at the Selfridge hotel, and whether or not he took it depended on him finding accommodation in central London. He found that the club provided much more than just a place to live. "The club provided me with a place where I could mix with a group of like-minded individuals," he says.

After a break from the industry, during which he joined Operation Raleigh, Toms returned to the club as an assistant manager. He later switched to contract catering with Gardner Merchant, Granada and Initial before launching Blue Apple, his own contract catering company, backed by a private investor, in June 1998. Toms feels he owes a lot to the PM Club and has pledged his support to its expansion. "I'd like to give something back," he says. "What I'd like to see is one in every major city." n