Greene King, the UK’s leading managed pub company and brewer, is this week launching a new Team Member Support Scheme by offering a one-off grant of up to £5,000 for employees in most financial need.
The long-term scheme has been designed to help team members experiencing an unexpected life emergency, such as threat of homelessness, loss of income due to sickness, relationship breakdown or bereavement, which could result in financial difficulties.
The scheme will be managed independently by the Licensed Trade Charity on behalf of Greene King, where team members can access support through its helpline which is available 24/7.
This follows the success of two Covid-19 emergency funds launched by Greene King and managed by the Licensed Trade Charity which supported team members experiencing financial shortfall while furloughed with essential shopping and retail vouchers. A total of £1.1m was distributed through these schemes, funded from a combination of voluntary salary sacrifices from the Executive Board and leadership team at Greene King and a company donation.
Nick Mackenzie, chief executive officer of Greene King, said: “As a people business, we are continually striving for new ways to be a pillar for our team members. It’s at the forefront of what we stand for, in the way we recruit and support our teams, promote inclusivity and provide great opportunities for career development. But we recognise life can sometimes take us by surprise, in good ways and bad. So, this new scheme will be a safety net for team members knowing Greene King is there for them, if and when they need it most.”
Jim Brewster, CEO of the Licensed Trade Charity said: “We’re happy to partner with Greene King again and to deliver their long-term Greene King Team Member Support Scheme. We are proud of the range of services we offer to support licensed trade people; whatever life throws at them and to work with Greene King, an organisation whose value “We Care” is aligned with our own aims ‘to equip people to be self-reliant and achieve their personal best.”
Calls are confidential and will be answered by a trained expert from Care First, who will offer advice and guidance, and triage each circumstance against a set of criteria to see if the applicant is eligible for financial support. A formal application process will then follow to access the cash grant.
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Notes to editors
About Greene King:
Greene King was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. It currently employs around 40,000 people across its five divisions: Local Pubs; Destination Food Brands; Premium, Urban and Venture Brands; Pub Partners; and Brewing & Brands.
It operates c.2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, of which c.1,700 are retail pubs, restaurants and hotels in the Locals, Destination and Premium, Urban and Venture divisions, and c.1,000 are tenanted and leased pubs in its Pub Partners division. Its leading retail brands and formats include Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns and Chef & Brewer.
The Brewing & Brands division covers the brewing sides of the business, with quality ale brands brewed at the Greene King brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. The industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best
Licensed Trade Charity has been supporting workers from pubs, bars and breweries with practical advice, emotional support, and financial grants since 1793. https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk/