Hilton London Bankside, the Hilton brand’s flagship London design hotel, has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility with the Community Engagement Award at SpringBoard 2017 Awards for Excellence.
The Community Engagement Award is given to the organisation that clearly demonstrates a holistic approach to corporate social responsibility with effective initiatives across key pillars including community, education and people.Community is at the very heart of Hilton London Bankside’s philosophy. General Manager James B. Clarke is a passionate advocate that the hotel should give back to the local area. He is heavily involved in community initiatives and regularly hosts Love Thy Neighbour events in Bankside which give neighbours the opportunity to experience the hotel and talk with senior management about any issues. James is also a Board Member of Better Bankside and Member of the Community Social Responsibility Group for Bankside. It is under his passionate direction that the hotel has been recognised for its outstanding achievements in this area. James explains;
“This award is the culmination of a lot of hard work across our entire team to ensure that the hotel is truly giving back to the local area. It is a really important strand of everything we do at Hilton London Bankside. From investing in local arts festivals, taking part in scholarship and apprenticeship schemes, to volunteering for local charities and employing local talent – we try and do our bit at every level to help the Bankside community thrive.”
As well as being committed members of Better Bankside, a non-profit Business Improvement District to ensure Bankside is a thriving place to work, live and visit – this summer, Hilton London Bankside collaborated with The Events Academy, Better Bankside’s award-winning initiative aimed at improving the prospects of young people in Southwark. Hilton London Bankside put forward members of its team to mentor eight students in a week long programme giving them insight and training in the hospitality industry.
The hotel also supports initiatives such as the ‘Together at Christmas’ project in which the hotel gifts Christmas presents to Bankside’s homeless, vulnerably housed and elderly residents. Most recently, launching an ongoing initiative in which hotel staff donate their time to volunteer at SE1’s Dragon Café, a local mental health charity project.
Hilton London Bankside also actively supports the local Bankside art and design scene by funding on-site events as part of local annual arts festival, MERGE. To celebrate local art, design, craft and culture, Hilton London Bankside has hosted a number of creative initiatives including ‘The Voice of God’ unique art installation by local design house, Bompas and Parr, Confession Booths by artist Candy Chang and launching rooftop beehives in collaboration with local jewellery designer Alex Monroe and Beekeeper Dale Gibson.
General Manager James B. Clarke recognises that CSR initiatives are valuable in keeping staff engaged. In addition to community initiatives, the hotel also rewards its talented team through annual Team Member Awards with categories including ‘Unsung Hero’ and ‘Most Improved’. Prizes include all-inclusive trips to New York, Dubai and Venice. The initiative has resulted in very high staff engagement and satisfaction which was recently recognised by Hilton Brand Auditors with 99.10% staff engagement scoring.
Hilton London Bankside General Manager James B. Clarke adds, “We are so proud to have been recognised for our commitment to the community with the Community Engagement Award 2017. We will continue to strive to be advocates for the Bankside neighbourhood, engage with our neighbours and continue our work to help the area flourish.”
For more information, visit Hilton London Bankside and Springboard Awards for Excellence 2017