Charity begins at home – yours

The thing about charities is that, to be truly effective, they have to be extrovert. It's no good working for a good cause if no one knows what that cause is. (I'm talking here about the profile of the charity itself, not the people who support it. It would be almost immoral for individuals to crow about their charity giving.)

Publicity has to be part of any charity's game plan - not just for fundraising purposes but so that the problems the charity aims to solve are exposed. It's called "raising awareness".

Since Jim Stephenson set out his stall as its new chief executive, the awareness game for industry charity Hospitality Action (HA) has begun. It's about time, as the work of HA - providing a safety net for individuals in hospitality who have fallen on hard times - has been undervalued for too long. A membership scheme, under which supporters pay an annual subscription, has been launched. This will have three distinct advantages: it will provide a vehicle for publicity; it will raise funds and provide a steady revenue stream; and it will create a widespread foundation of support.

Cherie Booth (also known as Mrs Blair of Number 10) and Gary Rhodes helped launch the scheme at a Downing Street reception this week. As a location, you can't get more high profile than Downing Street, home of the second most prominent politician in the Western world, so goal number one has had a good start.

But a slick publicity stunt is only the beginning. The rest has to follow - and that is where you, as a component part of the hospitality community, come into the picture.

A strong charity is one whose supporters feel part of the action (if you'll pardon the pun), and when they feel a sense of ownership about what the charity does. With individual membership costing just £25 per year, the new scheme invites the involvement of everyone in the industry. It's got to be worth it.

So, come on, get out your chequebook. Yes, you, I'm talking to you! Don't always leave it for someone else to get involved.

Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper