Travelodge and JD Wetherspoon among companies improving corporate social responsiblity

Travelodge & Cancer Research​

Last month Travelodge chief executive Guy Parsons and 17 of the budget hotel group's directors and senior managers went on the Tour de Travelodge, a three day charity bike ride from the company's flagship hotel in Covent Garden to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The group raised more than £21k for the cancer charity by completing the 297-mile bike ride. Another £12k was raised for the charity by a group-wide Red Day on 8 June. Parsons said: "Corporate responsibility is hugely important at Travelodge. Therefore, this year I wanted to step up to the mark quite literally and take on a fund raising task that would be both physically and mentally demanding."

JD Wetherspoon and CLIC Sargent​

Pub group JD Wetherspoon has committed to support CLIC Sargent, the charity for children with cancer, for the next four years with the aim of raising more than £1m per year. Money is raised by staff in individual pubs by a range of events as well as group-wide charity events such as five-a-side football tournaments and entering staff into the London Marathon. The operator has also pledged its support for CLIC Sargent's Home from Home project in Northern Ireland, which aims to raise £4m to build two new Home from Homes. All money raised at pubs in Northern Ireland is earmarked for the project.

Lancaster London & Hospita​lity Action​

West London hotel Lancaster London has raised £1.4k for industry charity Hospitality Action (HA) in just two months by adding a discretionary £1 to guest bills. The hotel, whose football team won last year's Springboard charity football match, is also hosting the HA Ball on 21 October. Trade charity HA currently supports more than 1,500 people who work or worked in the industry who have fallen on hard times.

The Vineyard at Stockcross & Hospitality Action​

Four members of staff at Hampshire restaurant The Vineyard at Stockcross are taking part in a Cyclathon challenge to raise money for Hospitality Action. Managing director Andrew Mckenzie, general manager Hayden Bowl, deputy general manager Nicholas Walley and assistant manager Alex Mika are aiming to complete a 150 mile bike ride which takes them via as many Relais & Chateaux properties as possible before the end of August . The team started their first challenge on 13 June - a 30-mile bike ride from The Vineyard to Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford. The biggest challenge is a 60-mile ride to Chewton Glen in Hampshire via Limewood.