Dylan’s Story

To safeguard the anonymity and safety of our beneficiary, all names and any identifiable information about the beneficiary have been changed

This is the heartfelt story of Dylan, one of our brave beneficiaries.

Dylan, 28, never imagined he’d be facing one of the toughest chapters of his life.

A proud dad of 2, Dylan has always been a hard-working individual, who has built his career in the drinks industry, now working as a brewery manager for a big brewery chain in the UK. Although he really enjoys his job, he has been carrying a weight that very few could see.

With his partner recently going on maternity leave, the family income was cut nearly in half. What came in barely covered the essentials, and her statutory maternity pay, while appreciated, was far from enough to keep up with the rising cost of living. The mortgage; already high, shot up with the latest rate hikes. Energy bills soared. Groceries cost more every week. Every pound felt like it had to stretch twice as far, and still, it wasn’t enough.

Debt wasn’t new to them, they’d been managing repayments before, but back then, it felt doable. Since the birth of their second child, though, everything changed. The debts started stacking faster than they could pay them down. Repayments turned into stress, and stress turned into sleepless nights.

Dylan tried everything to stay strong, for his partner, for his children. But there were moments he felt like he was failing them all. That’s when The Drinks Trust stepped in.

With no one else to turn to, Dylan reached out, and what he found wasn’t just financial aid, but understanding. Compassion. Immediate support.

20% of adults of working age will be experience poverty this year.  To put that into context for an industry that employs 3.5 million people, that means that potentially 700,000 of drinks hospitality people will suffer severe financial hardship in 2025.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Drinks Trust provided an elevated grant that helped relieve the urgent pressure. They also offered food vouchers, not just a gesture, but a lifeline, so Dylan could focus on feeding his family without choosing between electricity or dinner.

Things didn’t magically become perfect. The challenges didn’t disappear overnight. But now, there was room to breathe, a flicker of hope where before there was only anxiety. Dylan and his partner could focus on their children again, instead of drowning in worry.

For Dylan, the support meant more than just money, it meant knowing that someone cared when it felt like the world had turned its back. The Drinks Trust gave him and his family the chance to start rebuilding, and reminded them that even in the darkest times, help can come when you need it most.

"When my partner went on maternity leave and the cost of living kept rising, we found ourselves in a really difficult situation. Our mortgage payments increased, debts became unmanageable, and despite working as much as I could, we were struggling to keep up.

Reaching out to The Drinks Trust was one of the best decisions I’ve made. From the moment I made contact, they treated me with dignity and compassion. They listened without judgment and acted quickly. Their support gave us space to catch our breath and look after our children without constant anxiety.

Most of all, their support reminded us that we weren’t alone. In one of the hardest moments of our lives, The Drinks Trust truly made a difference — and we’re incredibly grateful." - Dylan

The drinks hospitality industry plays a vital role in bringing people together. BUT cost pressures on our industry continue to rise and this year, businesses will be forced to take further measures to reduce outgoings.

This will have a devasting impact on the people who work in our industry, whose financial situations have already been made worse by the difficult economic times in recent years.

1 in 5 of our colleagues will struggle with financial hardship in 2025. Together we can make the difference.

But the drinks hospitality industry is more than a sector - we are a family. Together, we stand united through thick and thin. When one of us is down, the rest rally to help, forging a brighter future for all.

Now more than ever, we need your help to support our colleagues in crisis.

The Drinks Trust is calling on businesses, partners and drinks hospitality people to rally behind our campaign, to support our colleagues in need, to contribute to our goal of raising £1million and pave the way for a stronger, sustainable industry future.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FACE IT TOGETHER CAMPAIGN HERE