Manny Runs Manc Half 2024 for Burnt Chef Project

My name is Ian and on Sunday 13th October I will be running the Manchester Half Marathon in aid of the Burnt Chef project.

Up to the start of 2020 I spent 16 years working in the hospitality industry in hotels, stadiums and arenas, in a variety of roles working my way up to Hospitality Manager.

Whilst the hospitality industry can give some great moments and experiences, it can also be very challenging and sadly a great number of staff struggle mentally and physically.

I struggled myself with my mental health while working in the industry, especially at the end of 2019. Whilst I met some amazing colleagues and had some memorable experiences, behind the scenes I was struggling, which was exasperated by an awful event.

A major step on the journey of improving my mental health has been running, and I wanted to give something back.

Burnt Chef Project - Burnt Chef Project

Through supporting Burnt Chef Project I want to raise some money to support people working in hospitality who are struggling, and I also want to raise awareness that support is available for hospitality workers.

Launched in May 2019 The Burnt Chef Project was set up with the sole intention of eradicating mental health stigma within hospitality

They have been working closely within the hospitality industry for around 9 years and have seen first hand the struggles of mental health issues within the trade.

Long antisocial hours, tough environmental conditions and pressures to perform are just some of the issues that hospitality professionals are fighting against on a daily basis.

They recently conducted a survey of 1273 hospitality professionals which showed that 8 out of 10 (84%) of respondents had experienced mental health issues within their career and 46% would not feel comfortable talking about their health concerns with their colleagues.

Mental health doesn’t have to define you but reaching out for support is an important 1st step.