Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha) has named Thomas Franks as its Foundation Partner, recognising the role the company has played in the development of the alliance from its earliest days.
The new relationship category recognises a business that saw the importance of accessibility early and chose to act.
That was evident in June 2025, when Thomas Franks hosted the first aha Forum in London, bringing hospitality and catering operators together with people who experience barriers to hospitality to explore how greater accessibility could be advanced through shared understanding and collaborative action.
Thomas Franks has remained closely involved ever since, playing a central role in subsequent London forums at Scale Space in White City in November 2025 and Barings in the City of London in June 2026.
The company was also part of aha’s first international forum, The aha Forum, in Partnership with VisitMalta Incentives & Meetings, held at Malta Marriott Resort & Spa in March 2026.
Thomas Franks founder Frank Bothwell joined the Accessible Hospitality Alliance Advisory Board in 2025, followed in 2026 by Thomas Franks CEO Blain Shepherd.
Within the business, accessibility has also been translated into leadership through its network of Access Champions.
Chief People Officer Vicky Freeman leads the company’s accessibility strategy and policy, alongside Alison Ryan, Regional Managing Director, who leads accessibility across England; John Fleming, Managing Director, Scotland, who carries the same responsibility north of the border; and Robbie Laidlaw, Managing Director, London, whose long-standing commitment to inclusive employment continues to drive action in the capital.
Frank Bothwell, Founder, Thomas Franks said of the recognition: “Thomas Franks is proud to be named Foundation Partner of the Accessible Hospitality Alliance. From the moment I met Denis and Robin, their determination to drive meaningful change was clear. Since then, they have united the hospitality industry around a shared goal, to make hospitality more accessible and inclusive for everyone. We are proud to stand alongside them and to play our part in turning their ambition into meaningful and lasting change.”
Naming Thomas Franks as Foundation Partner recognises both the company’s early involvement with aha and the practical leadership it continues to demonstrate within its own organisation.
Denis Sheehan, Managing Director of Accessible Hospitality Alliance, said: “Frank recognised what we were trying to achieve when aha was at a very early stage, and from the outset chose to become actively involved.
“Since then, Frank and I have developed a relationship built on shared purpose and a determination to make things happen. His counsel has been invaluable to me, and the commitment shown by colleagues across Thomas Franks has given substance to that relationship.
“I am enormously pleased that Thomas Franks is our Foundation Partner. It is a fitting recognition of a business that leads by example, and people who have consistently turned intent into action.”
The recognition comes as aha continues to grow its operator membership across the UK, develop its forums and extend its international reach.
Christopher Moore appointed Ambassador to Accessible Hospitality Alliance