At a time of great challenge for the hospitality sector amidst increased costs of doing business following October’s Budget, the sector has nonetheless embraced the season of giving. This is perhaps best exemplified by a Ballymena publican who has presented cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support with a cheque for over £100,000 following nine years of fundraising in the wake of his own cancer diagnosis in 2015.
Pat Hamill, proprietor of the Halfway House pub on the Carnlough Road in Ballymena, presented Macmillan with a cheque worth £101,437.12 after a Big Breakfast event raised £6,280 and brought the total raised to over £100,000.
Having been diagnosed with cancer himself in 2015, Pat made a successful recovery following a combination of surgeries and treatments.
Inspired by his excellent after care by a team of Macmillan nurses, Pat – with the help of his wife, family, staff, and customers – has dedicated himself to the raising of funds for Macmillan. The presentation of the cheque represents the culmination of nine years of hard work by all involved to raise much-needed funds for a worthy cause.
It is heartening to see one of our own give so much back to his community. Despite the challenges the hospitality sector is facing, Pat Hamill is thinking of others and giving back to a worthy cause during the season of giving. The work of Pat and those around him is a reminder of hospitality’s central role in our communities, especially within rural communities such as that of the Halfway House.
People like Pat are the human face of the importance of the hospitality sector to Northern Ireland; the stats for that importance are that the sector accounts for one in 10 of the region’s jobs, it adds almost £2 billion a year to the local economy, and accounts for four-in-five tourism-related jobs, a sector earmarked by the Executive for extensive future growth.
Hospitality was the worst affected sector in Northern Ireland during the Covid pandemic and was never given the chance to recover before being again affected by the cost of living and cost of doing business crises. The UK Budget has now dealt another blow to a struggling industry.
While more long-term measures to combat these issues are progressed in Stormont and Westminster, we are calling on the Executive to bring forward an interim support package to support our hospitality businesses.
Our industry, symbolised by people like Pat Hamill, give so much back to their communities. This is the least we could give back to them.
- Colin Neill is chief executive of Hospitality Ulster
