IHG Celebrates Inaugural Week of Fundraising Activities for IHG® Foundation

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has today announced that over 120,000 colleagues from its hotels and corporate offices worldwide joined this year’s week of global awareness and fundraising activities in aid of the IHG^® Foundation. The activities, which took place during September’s inaugural IHG® Foundation Week, have raised more than $350,000 for the IHG Foundation.

Kate Gibson, Vice President Corporate Responsibility, IHG, commented: “We are delighted with the success of our first ever week of fundraising activity for the IHG Foundation. The momentum behind the event, the level of support, and the variety of activities our colleagues took part in has been fantastic. As a global business with a presence in almost 100 countries, we have a significant opportunity to make a real difference to communities around the world. The tremendous support from our colleagues across the world demonstrates the strong sense of shared purpose that is embedded throughout the culture of our organisation.”

IHG colleagues were encouraged to pledge and take part in as many different activities as they could outside of their daily routines. Highlights included:

IHG’s corporate office and hotels in Bangkok, Thailand, gathered in Lumpini Park for a day of outdoor activity to pledge their support. The activities included aerobics, cycling, mini marathons and games.

InterContinental Bucharest created a special cocktail for IHG Foundation Week. All money raised from the drink was donated to the IHG Foundation.

At IHG’s corporate office in Toronto, Canada, colleagues took part in a number of activities, from 5:15am treadmill challenges, to standing meetings, yoga teambuilding events and food donations to local shelters.

Crowne Plaza Rome St. Peters worked with Project Rome to organise a buffet for 100 homeless people at Tiburtina station. Hotel employees brought tables, chairs, tablecloths, cutlery and chinaware to provide a sit-down meal for the homeless.

Cycling was a prominent activity for colleagues’ pledges. Kenneth Macpherson, CEO of IHG in Greater China, along with six fellow executives, a hotel owner and an employee from InterContinental Sanya Resort, completed a 350km cycling challenge from Haikou to Sanya. In Europe, George Turner, EVP, General Counsel and Company Secretary, led a 140-mile Grand Cycling Tour from London to Amsterdam, along with 11 IHG colleagues.

Launched in February 2016, the IHG Foundation is an independent charity, which focuses its activities on four key areas – helping communities to develop skills in hospitality, providing support for those impacted by disasters, encouraging grassroots community support and protecting the environment.

IHG Foundation’s initial beneficiaries included CARE International UK, Goodwill Industries International, Youth Career Initiative, British Red Cross, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Rede Cidadã and Sichuan Province Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. It has since issued a further 18 grants to organisations globally, including to charities in four cities working to create positive change for local people:

• Bottomless Closet
  New York-based Bottomless Closet supports disadvantaged women to get back into the workplace, providing professional clothing, job preparation and post-employment training to help them become self-sufficient, enter the workforce and achieve success. The grant from the IHG Foundation will help provide services such as interview training, post-hire support, professional development and business clothing.


• New Life Farm
  New Life Farm is a Hong Kong-based organisation dedicated to supporting the wellness of people in recovery of mental illness. The charity supports the families of those recovering and has a number of initiatives in place to encourage equal opportunities, social inclusion and acceptance of those who have suffered with mental illness.


• The Passage
  The Passage runs London’s largest voluntary resource for the homeless and vulnerable, helping those in need to transform their lives. The grant from the IHG Foundation contributes towards costs for staff training and skills development for volunteers, in partnership with the City of Westminster College.


• Bali Life Foundation
  Bali Life Foundation provides care and support to disadvantaged people in Bali. By running projects, women’s and children’s centres and sustainability programmes, the charity aims to give people hope and purpose. The IHG Foundation is helping to fund a project at Suwung, Kuta, Bali’s largest waste dump, where women and children sort through waste each day. The project provides education, training, medical support and food and clothing supplies.