Whitbread, the hospitality group behind Premier Inn, has won three awards at this year’s Inclusion In awards, recognising its work to promote diversity and inclusion across the hospitality, travel and leisure (HTL) sector.
The awards, held on 14 October and organised by Women in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure (WiHTL) and Diversity in Retail, honour organisations, teams and individuals driving progress in equality and inclusion across both industries.
Whitbread’s three wins were the highest total in the HTL category and matched only by one retail company across all entries.
The company received the award for Most Impactful Social Mobility Initiative for its partnership with children’s charity Barnardo’s, which supports care-experienced young people through a pre-employment programme leading to work placements at Whitbread.
Its Thrive Programme, which trains students with special educational needs for hospitality and housekeeping roles, was named Most Transformative Inclusion Initiative in the HTL sector.
Lastly, The Inclusion Hero award went to Tracey Bishop, a regional operations manager recognised for her leadership in developing the Thrive Programme and building partnerships with colleges nationwide.
According to Whitbread, the recognition reflects its long-term commitment to inclusion under its Force for Good strategy, which aims to promote equal opportunities and champion diversity across its workforce and local communities.
Katie Mellor, Whitbread’s talent, development and inclusion director, said: “It’s an incredible honour for Whitbread to be recognised with these awards for creating inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. We’re passionate about ensuring there are no barriers to entry and no limits to ambition, and these awards reflect the progress we’ve made together.”
