Join Kelly's Cause and mum for a morning of Brewing Strength to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week

The event will open with a keynote from Paul Spencer, Chief Operating Officer at edyn and be followed by three bite sized workshops designed to provide attendees with practical and actionable steps for building strength in hospitality:

• Olajide Alabi from Sisu will host 'The Foundations of Inclusivity'

• Shell Righini from We Recover Loudly will host 'Supporting Neuro Divergent Team Members'

• Emma & Tobie-Anna from Kelly's Cause will host 'Panic Attacks: Helping Yourself and Others'

Each £20 ticket includes pastries and coffee - 100% of the proceeds will go to Kelly's Cause and Walk for Wellbeing.

Imperial London Hotels have kindly donated their training academy for the event, located at 34-42 Woburn Place London WC1H 0JR (opposite side of Scape building).

If you have any questions or would like to know more before booking your ticket please email hello@kellyscause.com

Keynote: Who do you listen to?

Workshop 1: The Foundations of Inclusivity with Olajide Alabi

The Foundations of Inclusivity we’ll dive into interactive activities and engaging discussions, giving you a taste of the transformative power of inclusivity in business. Discover the core principles that underpin inclusive cultures, explore the importance of language, and learn how to integrate inclusivity into the heart of your organisation's values and culture. Get ready to be inspired and equipped with practical insights to kickstart your journey towards fostering a more inclusive workplace.

Workshop 2: Supporting Neurodivergent Team Members

Being neurodivergent in the hospitality industry can be a tremendous asset if properly supported. In this workshop, Shell will explore how managers can help neurodivergent individuals thrive by fostering a culture of clear communication, respect, and kindness, along with providing opportunities to transform tasks into engaging challenges.

Workshop 3: Panic Attacks - Helping Yourself and Others

Panic attacks are all too common especially in hospitality where we work in incredibly busy, fast-paced, and intense environments. They can be debilitating for those who experience them, challenging for the people around them, and the anxiety of one occurring can cause daily disruption to a person’s life. Beyond the Panic: Tools for Panic Attacks is a workshop that will teach you what panic attacks are and why they happen, as well as equip you with the skills to recognise a panic attack, and support someone through one. The workshop will also cover what we can do for ourselves and others to reduce the likelihood of panic attacks occurring.

Keynote Speaker:

Paul (Spence) Spencer is CEO of edyn. He started life in a kitchen in the French suburbs. Over the next 35 years, he fed and developed his passion for hospitality and the world that surrounds it. Having worked in hotels all over Europe his experience far out reaches the confines of the UK.

After years in a global hotel company, it was time to find a role that actually made a difference to an industry he loves, fast forward to his current role as the Chief Operating Officer for edyn, overseeing the brands Locke, Cove and SACO operating in nine countries by the close of 2024. edyn is still in hyper-growth and learning every single day, the purpose of the organisation is to deliver ‘Soulful Hospitality’

Spence is described as a force for good in an industry that so needs positive role models and ambassadors.

Outside of his day job Spence will be either cooking, entertaining his two boys Charlie and Jack, adding another tattoo or working out. (The reality is he’s usually in a bar drinking Whiskey Sours.)

The Workshop Facilitators:

Olajide Alabi is the Co-creator of SISU Inclusion, Equity & Wellbeing Consultancy, and the Equality, Inclusion and Wellbeing Partner at Turtle Bay Restaurants. Olajide is running the workshop on 'The Foundations of Inclusivity'.

Renowned as a top 20 influencer in Modern Hospitality 2022 and recipient of the 2023 Impact Award from Be Inclusive Hospitality, Olajide's story extends beyond industry boundaries. It's about resilience and positive transformation, drawing on moments of challenge and even trauma to become an influencer, public speaker, and empathetic listener.

Driven by an innate curiosity, Olajide has learned through his journey the profound importance of understanding people's values and their individual journeys, triggers, blind spots, and gaps in knowledge. As a disrupter, he advocates for authentic representation across all industries, with a special appreciation for the nuances of hospitality.

His mission goes beyond leadership—it's about influencing perspectives, fostering inclusion, and celebrating individuality.

@houseofalabi @thisissisu

Shell Righini is the founder of We Recover Loudly podcast and Radical Hospitality. She is a proudly sober, neurodivergent hospitality professional and qualified recovery coach offering workshops to the industry encouraging safe and inclusive drinking cultures. Shell is running the workshop on 'Supporting Neuro Divergent Team Members'.

Shell is a hospitality veteran with 18 years FOH experience, focusing primarily on operations, training, and business development. Having suffered a life changing burnout late 2020, she has changed her focus to improving the mental health working conditions of people in the industry by forcing difficult conversations out into the open, specifically concerning the hidden epidemic of addiction.

Her company, Radical Hospitality provides onsite workshops including training modules geared towards supporting team members with neurodiversity, working towards creating a cooperative of thought leaders who are wanting to shake up the industry, by “daring to do things differently.” She is a chief ambassador with The Burnt Chef Project, and Low No Drinker magazine’s resident agony aunt. She also has a sassy sausage dog called Milo who is addicted to going for brunch.

@shell_righini @we_recover_loudly

Emma Ross is a Chef, MHFA Instructor and will be co-facilitating the workshop 'Panic Attacks: Helping Yourself and Others'. From South Africa originally, Emma began working in restaurants as FOH all throughout university whilst completing her degree in Psychology. Emma transitioned to pursuing a career on super yachts, working her way up to head chef while travelling the globe over a 15 year journey.

After settling down full time in London and continuing to chef in notable central London restaurants, she made the career change to become a fully qualified MHFA Instructor. Emma delivers training for Kelly’s Cause and her own organisation Seas the Mind which supports the mental health of those working at sea. She is dedicated to promoting well being, providing education and resources and building connections and conversations throughout hospitality in the UK.

@em_de_lem

Tobie-Anna Durk is the founder of Kelly’s Cause, Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, MHFA instructor & will be co-facilitator of the workshop 'Panic Attacks: Helping Yourself and Others'. She founded Kelly’s Cause after the suicide of her dear friend and fellow chef Kelly, and has been on a mission ever since to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the hospitality industry for all.

Originally from Australia she has called London home for the last eight years and worked in various restaurants across the capital, most notably as Head Chef of Kricket Brixton. Alongside her current role at Kelly’s Cause she works part time at Pophams Islington because she needs that hospo buzz in her life.

@tobieannaclare