Charity appoints regional fund-raiser

Industry charity Hospitality Action has created the new role of regional fund-raising manager to spread the charity's efforts to the UK's major cities.

Chief executive Tony Allen said the charity had been somewhat "London-centric", as so many firms had headquarters in the capital, and had been missing big opportunities in other parts of the country.

The role will go to Jeannie Payne, who is currently regional education manager at Whitbread. She will join on 1 October along with the newly named head of fund-raising, Barbara Cox, who is at present community investment manager at Whitbread.

Cox replaces Helen Walker, who left in August after seven months in the job (Caterer, 9 August, page 4).

Payne will also co-ordinate a new initiative to involve the UK's 180,000 students taking industry-related courses in fund-raising activities.

In addition, the charity's Outreach team, which awards grants, is to be given a new name that will more clearly reflect what it does.