Dick Whittington pantomime raises £20,000 for Springboard charity

This year's Springboard charity hospitality industry pantomime raised at least £20,000 towards funding a new Hospitality Futures programme.

The industry charity's third annual production, this year a hospitality-themed Dick Whittington, ran over four nights 29 January-1 February 2019 at the Leicester Square Theatre in London's West End.

The charity is still awaiting further funds but has already more than doubled last year's total. Hospitality Futures events offer workshops to equip young people with skills to help them into jobs in hospitality and make them valuable employees.

Sponsored by The Caterer, the professionally-directed and choreographed show featured a line-up of familiar faces from some of the UK's leading hospitality businesses, including the Ritz London, Mitchells & Butlers, HIT Training and The Caterer.

Springboard chief executive Anne Pierce said: "Springboard works to inspire young people and unemployed adults and those facing barriers to work through innovative and memorable programmes and resources.

"It uses the same approach with its fundraising and the annual Springboard pantomime encapsulates all that is brilliant about hospitality, its array of awesome talent and raises funds that make a real difference to peoples' lives."

Photo credit: Andrew Conway

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