Marking 160 years of helping Scots licensed trade workers, The Ben has revealed ‘superchefs’ Dean Banks and Graeme Cheevers as its new ambassadors.
The Ben – The Benevolent Fund – is a charity offering grants and support to anyone who has ever worked in a Scottish bar, pub, hotel, restaurant, nightclub or any licensed premises, or for any drinks brand or related company.
Sadly, in its 160th anniversary year, demand for its financial support is said to be ‘soaring’, with more applications received in seven months of this year than were submitted in the entire previous financial year.
The two chefs are coming aboard to help raise awareness within the industry of what is on offer from The Ben, from that financial support to mental health services.
Graeme Cheevers runs Michelin-starred Glasgow restaurant Unalome, where the charity recently hosted a dinner as a thank you to supporters, with the help of sponsors including Alexander Wines, C and C Group, Edrington and Campbells Prime Meats.
Graeme said: “I feel the charity is more important than ever now with a lot of the hospitality industry on its knees and businesses closing at a faster rate than ever. It is great to know that there is help out there for people in need.
“The proof is in the pudding as they say, anything that lasts the test of time – in this case 160 years – is a massive achievement, few projects last that long,” he noted.
“I was oblivious to the longevity of the charity and their support and how much work has been put in to maintain this and help many people. It really is amazing.
“I feel privileged to be an ambassador for The Ben – hospitality is all I have ever done or wanted to do as a career. It is so important that we nurture and protect the industry and encourage others to be part of this. With the help from The Ben I’m positive that we can support and encourage growth within the industry.”
Dean Banks has restaurants in Edinburgh and St Andrews including The Pompadour, Dulse, Dulse Leith, Haar and Dune, as well as drinks brands Mond Vodka and Lunun Gin, plus meal delivery services Haar at Home and Waagyu Burger.
Dean said: “The Ben is a fantastic organisation and one I’ve championed for a long time – the work they do isn’t recognised enough.
“Our trade is a brutal one at times, especially right now with the incredible pressures on people across the board with the cost of living crisis.
“I am really passionate about hospitality in general and of course our amazing food, produce, drinks, venues and people in Scotland – we really do lead the world in so many ways,” said Dean.
“With many businesses struggling and pressure on everyone from staff to owners increasing, it’s vital to have support, somewhere for all of us to turn.
“I was really honoured and pleased to be asked to help spread the message that The Ben is there to help, whether that’s with money, somewhere to go or just support or mental health assistance.
“I will absolutely help all I can with the incredible work The Ben do and I want to thank Chris, Warren, Graham and the team for their trust.”
The Ben’s Chris Gardner, who has run the charity for 36 years, said: “It’s fantastic that we’re welcoming two of Scotland’s top chefs on board as ambassadors.
“We want to help as many people as possible and of course kitchens and the restaurant sector in general is very high pressure, so high profile industry figures like Dean and Graeme will absolutely assist in doing that.
“It’s great that they will use their profiles to help spread the word of the charity and the support we can offer to needy people throughout Scotland in difficult times and we all want to thank them for committing to help support us despite the demands on their time already,” said Gardner.
The Ben gives out cash grants to those in need, whatever that may be for, including rent, food, bills or general living, and has given out more than £6million in individual grants over the last 40 years – but Gardner pointed out the worrying increase in applications.
In the last financial year The Ben received 700 applications for grants – but in the first half of this fiscal year, from March until October, it recorded 705 applications, and has had another 200 since.
Chris said: “For every application received, I phone them and speak to them to get their details and then process the applications.
“If I don’t get them on the phone, I leave a message and email them to contact me. This is a personal, one to one service, quick and easy, and money is paid straight into their bank accounts,” she stressed.
“For more complex cases and people who need continued support, our team of Ambassadors will visit and report back for any action required. They visit the beneficiaries at least twice a year and keep the social support going – it’s not always about giving money, especially now with the mental health problems. It’s always good to see a friendly face and a willing listener.”
Chris added that the nature of those seeking help had changed, from older retiring staff who had no pension lined up, to young people struggling with general living costs.
“We used to have 250 annual beneficiaries which is now down to 56. When I started people didn’t get company pensions and would retire from the trade with only their state pensions so needed the extra support.
“It was mainly older people we helped then but the tables have turned and we are helping more young people, either single or with families,” she said.
“Also Covid turned everything on its head – we didn’t help with personal debt but now most people can’t afford the basics so we do.
“Lately we have concentrated on getting the word out to younger people in the trade with our social media campaigns as they seem to be struggling with rent, council tax and energy bills in the main. Many are receiving grants of £500 and £1000 depending on need.
“We also give out traditional grants to those who need furniture, white goods, carpets etc. We work with Starter Packs in Glasgow to help people who are just starting out or have a new house and this gives them the basics to start again.”
The Ben owns an estate in Pitlochry which was originally used to give industry workers a break, or homes for those retiring with little income. But that too has changed.
Chris explained: “On our estate in Pitlochry traditionally we had retired people living there and lately we have been housing younger people who work in the trade in the area so this help is twofold – we are giving people a roof over their head and helping the businesses retain valuable staff.
“We have just let one of the houses to a man who has worked in hospitality for 10 years and lived in his place of work and now he has his own home. There are 18 houses on the estate and one is used for respite and we donate this to Shared Care Scotland to use to allow carers some well-deserved respite.”
