27th September 2017 hotel housekeepers mad for charity

27^th September 2017

HOTEL HOUSEKEEPERS MAD FOR CHARITY

Charitable house-keeping ladies from London’s Strand Palace Hotel have raised over £6,000 for charities this year, including donations to Guide Dogs for the Blind, City Farm and Great Ormond Street Hospital, by collecting throwaway items.

Among their money-raising efforts, the house-keeping staff have collected used bars of soap, biscuit wrappers and coins left behind in guestrooms, as well as taking part in Race for Life for Cancer Research.
Used bars of soap left behind after a guest has checked out of the 800-room hotel have been stored and then delivered to Clean Conscience. To date, more than 6,000 bars have been donated, which are then reformed and shipped out to a number of countries in need of hygiene help.
Biscuit wrappers, 19,487 of them, were retrieved from in-room bins, cleaned of crumbs and saved to exchange for money in the McVitie’s Biscuit Wrapper Recycling Programme.
Foreign coins have been collected and stored in coffee jars, then taken on a regular basis to the Forex world money exchange. So far, 22 different currencies have been collected and exchanged including Peruvian sol, Czech koruna and Mexican peso. To date, these discarded coins have raised £47.12 after exchange – and it’s still early days!
Carment Browne and Angela Chaabane have no intention of stopping now. “We really enjoy it, especially the feeling that we are making a difference to people with less than we have,” said Carment. Meanwhile Angela commented: “It’s just stuff that normally gets thrown away that we can collect and raise money from. It’s a little bit of extra work but we actually enjoy doing it.”
Hotel General Manager David MacRae is proud of his house-keepers’ determination. “I was very impressed when they came up with these initiatives and the ideas just keep coming. They recently took part in Race for Life for Cancer Research and there are plans for a London “dash” around the Monopoly board very soon which will involve all of the hotel’s staff.

“Carment and Angela are a remarkable couple of ladies with determination and drive to help others. Who knows where we will be in a year’s time!”

Ends
For further details or images, please contact Mason Williams Communications on 0845 0941 007.

Bianca Dorp | 07986 873 767 | [e-mail]

Bethany Sharratt | 07971 668809 | [e-mail]

Catherine Richards | 07702 188 393 | [e-mail]

London Office: The Penthouse, Italian Building, Dockhead Road, Nr Butler's Wharf, London, SE1 2BS | Manchester Office: No 1 Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Manchester M12 6JH

About Strand Palace Hotel:

Having welcomed guests since 1909, the Strand Palace Hotel is surrounded by the best London has to offer. Set on the heart of the Strand, the hotel is located just minutes from Covent Garden and the River Thames, making it the perfect location for guests looking to indulge themselves in the heart of London's cultural scene. With 785 bedrooms and a gym, the hotel also houses the award-winning Carvery and Grill, Lounge Bar, Sacred Café and Gin Palace.