Hilton Global Foundation and Hilton UK Foundation Back UK Charities and Organisations with Nearly £900,000 to Help Young People Get Ahead

LONDON – Twelve UK charities and organisations are benefitting from funding from the Hilton Global Foundation and Hilton UK Foundation, with a particular focus on those helping young people gain skills, experience and routes into work. 

This year, Hilton Global Foundation, Hilton’s global philanthropic arm, is supporting Felix, the UK’s leading food rescue charity and a long-standing Hilton partner, to power its Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme. The goal is to help apprentices gain recognised qualifications and practical hospitality experience as they work towards careers across the sector. Last week, apprentices put their training into practice at Hilton London Canary Wharf, gaining their first experience in a professional hotel kitchen. More broadly the Foundation supports organisations across the globe working to expand career opportunity, advance community resilience and make the world better to travel. 

Separately, through its fundraising efforts, the Hilton UK Foundation, an independent UK charity, has granted £600,000 to 11 UK organisations, with an aim to support causes helping future generations. Grantees include Team Domenica, which helps young people with learning disabilities move into work through specialist training and employer partnerships, as well as Only A Pavement Away, Fair Shot, The Right Course and the Down Syndrome Association’s WorkFit programme. 

Hospitality has the power to open doors for people who might otherwise be overlooked. At a time when too many young people are struggling to gain the experience employers are looking for, the Hilton Global Foundation and Hilton UK Foundation are helping organisations create practical pathways into work through apprenticeships, training, mentoring and hands-on workplace experience. By helping people develop skills, confidence and employability, they are unlocking potential in communities across the UK and creating opportunities that can change lives.

Stephen Cassidy, senior vice president, UK & Ireland, Hilton and chairman, Hilton UK Foundation

Supporting 4,000 young people into work 

Alongside the work of the Hilton Global Foundation and Hilton UK Foundation, Hilton is on track to support more than 4,000 young people across the UK this year through work placements, careers events, mock interviews, workshops and hotel visits. The activity is delivered with local schools, colleges and organisations, as well as partners backed by the Hilton Global Foundation, including the UK hospitality careers charity Springboard. Together with Springboard, Hilton will also hold an event in early 2027 to help hundreds of students, parents, teachers and careers advisers explore hospitality careers.  

Hilton's support comes as nearly one million young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training. But it’s clear that hospitality can help. Hilton-commissioned research found that more than four in five of business leaders agreed hospitality helps people develop soft skills valued in other industries, while 76% would be more likely to hire someone with hospitality experience over an otherwise equally qualified candidate. Eighty-one per cent of business leaders also believe young people struggle to gain the experience employers expect without access to entry-level roles. 

Felix Case Studies – Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme  

As part of Felix’s Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme, Zack Isse and Maisie Moore recently gained their first experience in a professional hotel kitchen at Hilton London Canary Wharf, working alongside the hotel’s culinary team and putting their training into practice Zack Isse, 24, joined Felix's chef apprenticeship programme after struggling to gain the experience needed to start a career in hospitality: “Before joining the programme, I had a passion for food but didn’t have the experience or confidence to take the next step. Now I’m training as a chef, learning new skills every day and building a future in hospitality. Working in a busy Hilton kitchen gave me a real sense of what the job involves and made me even more determined to succeed. There are lots of people with the passion to do well who just need the chance to learn and show what they can do.” 

Before joining the programme, 21-year-old Maisie Moore had never held a paid job and was unsure what her future might look like: “Over the past six months, I’ve gained confidence, developed practical skills and discovered how many opportunities hospitality can offer. Working in a busy Hilton kitchen was a real highlight and pushed me outside my comfort zone. It showed me how much there is to learn in hospitality and the different directions a career in the industry could take me.” 

Media Contact

Vee Maxwell

Hilton [email protected]