National Chairman's Welcome

Welcome and thank you for visiting the website of the UK Housekeepers Association.

Ian Hughes,
National Chairman

The UKHA was founded in May 1984 by determined Housekeepers with the help and support of the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Magazine. The first meeting was held in June 1985 in The Grosvenor Victoria now The Thistle Victoria. Today the UKHA is a nationally recognised Association. We still hold our original objectives as our passion but have moved with the times over that last two decades. We were one of the front runners of Associations that represented hotel and catering professionals and we are still one of the leading Associations and the only representing Housekeeping and Accommodation Management. By the end of 1984 we had MORE THAN 100 members. From all parts of the UK and from all areas of Accommodation Management, Hotels, schools, institutions, hospitals and lecturers from education.

Housekeeping and Accommodation Management is one of the principle management roles in any establishment, a role that manages the largest physical space in the building, employs and manages a large team and budget. Today we work closely with our colleagues in the IEHA the USA equivalent of the UKHA.

The National Chairman holds a directorship on the board of the BCC (British Cleaning Council); Our National Secretary is on several working parties with the HSE.

We are a professional body of people and have the following aims and objectives?

• Improve the professional standing of Housekeepers.
• Promote housekeeping as a career.
• Provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas.
• Increase the membership annually.
• Reach the more diverse workforce of the industry again i.e. hospital also educational and training establishments
• Re-introduce Accommodation Operations training programmes to colleges.
• Increase company sponsorship.

What is the Association?

• It is a self-funding association
• Made up of professional members throughout the UK.
• We have major companies as Associate members who also generously support us.
• Regular meetings are held to take the Association forward.
• There is a wealth of experience throughout the membership.

If you are not a member why not consider joining your nearest region.

I look forward to meeting you soon

Ian Hughes
National Chairman