Watergate Bay Hotel, a member of Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha), has appointed Helen Bishop, Group Head of Sustainability and Engagement for Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place, and SeaSpace, as its Access Champion.
The appointment brings accessibility into the remit of a leader already focused on how hospitality businesses think responsibly about their long-term impact.
Watergate Bay Hotel joined Accessible Hospitality Alliance earlier this year, signalling its intention to engage with accessibility as part of the whole hospitality experience for both guests and colleagues.
By appointing Bishop, Watergate Bay Hotel creates a clear alignment between accessibility and sustainability. Both demand longer-term thinking. Both ask businesses to think carefully about people, environments, barriers, and the experiences they shape. Both challenge hospitality to consider who is included and how changes improve outcomes.
Helen Bishop, Group Head of Sustainability and Engagement, Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place, and SeaSpace, said: ‘’Being a sustainable business means making decisions through the lens of people and planet. Accessibility is also somewhat of a personal focus for me. I’m looking forward to being able to share ideas and experiences with other access champions so we can work collectively to start really being able to welcome everyone into our spaces.”
As Access Champion, Bishop will join The Access Champions Collective, the peer network created through aha membership to bring together individuals responsible for keeping accessibility visible, discussed, and progressing within their own organisations, while collaborating with peers exploring similar opportunities.
Formed following its first gathering at Kimpton Fitzroy London, the collective exists to encourage open exchange between hospitality operators working through similar challenges, recognising that practical progress is often accelerated when peers share experiences openly.
The collective’s early development is being guided by three stewards selected by fellow Access Champions: Ian Bartlett, Head of Built Environment at Swinton Estate; James Dixon-Box, Operations Director at Marsham Court Hotel; and Hannah Myles, Group Health & Safety Manager at Clermont Hotel Group.
Charlotte Evans, Group Partnerships Director, Accessible Hospitality Alliance, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Helen to the Access Champions Collective. Her role reflects a considered approach to hospitality, where accessibility sits alongside sustainability to create experiences that genuinely welcome everyone.”
Hospitality has become increasingly comfortable talking about sustainability as a measure of responsible business. Accessibility warrants the same consideration. As part of the broader question every hospitality business should continually ask itself: how can we be welcoming to everyone?