• Swindon & Wiltshire Governance
• Tuesday July 2 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Hospitality chain Loungers to work with Babbasa to help disadvantaged young people into industry

Hospitality chain Loungers has launched an initiative with social enterprise Babbasa to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the hospitality sector.

A partnership between Loungers plc, which operates café-bars across the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands, and Bristol-based Babbasa kicked off with an Insight Day for underrepresented young people across the Loungers HQ and Cosy Club sites in Bristol.

The Insight Day saw a group of young people aged between 18 and 25 welcomed to the Loungers HQ to learn about the organisation and the varied job opportunities.

The young people heard about more of the work that Loungers do as well as meet the various departments.

One of the young people who attended said that: “During the Insight Day at Loungers, I found learning about the different roles in the industry, the recruitment processes, and the relationship with customers and the community most helpful. Additionally, understanding Loungers’ history provided valuable context for their current success.”

Caroline Amran, senior business engagement lead for Babbasa, said: “The Loungers plc Babbasa Insight Day was a brilliant opportunity for young people to explore career paths in hospitality and get an insider’s view of a fast-growing plc.

“A highlight was Jake Bishop’s inspiring story, from pot-washer to leading a 9,000-strong team. Hosting a Babbasa Insight Day is a fantastic way for companies to engage diverse young talent and gain fresh perspectives in return.”

The partnership between the two organisations aims to provide the Loungers HQ team with the opportunity to give back to the community they operate in, to widen the perspectives of their team to the issues facing those from minoritised communities in Bristol, and to increase the diversity of their HQ and site teams.

This Insight Day was the first piece of activity as part of the partnership, following Loungers plc completing Babbasa’s Inclusion Healthchecker, which recommended a series of actions to help them become more inclusive and representative of the local population.

Jake Bishop (pictured right) co-founder Director at Loungers plc, said: “It was fantastic to speak to the young people that joined us and we are looking forward to continuing working with Babbasa throughout 2024 and beyond.”

Businesses that want to find out more about becoming a more inclusive employer or recruit diverse young talent in Bristol can contact Caroline.Amran@byep.org.uk

Latest: Babbasa launches fundraising appeal to tackle Bristol’s youth unemployment crisis