The incredible team at local favourite pub, The Soar Point in Leicester have announced the debut episode of their innovative podcast series, “We Can’t Do This Forever.” This podcast is designed to shine a light on the often-overlooked pressures faced by hospitality workers. The initial recording, held on Monday, December 4th, marked the start of a monthly series which will be headed-up by Matt Platts, the pub’s General Manager and involve the whole team.
The podcast delves into diverse topics related to the hospitality sector, showcasing both its positive aspects and challenges. Matt Platts engages with his team, exploring the rewarding facets of hospitality, such as forging lasting friendships, establishing the pub as a local community hub, acquiring new skills, and deepening industry knowledge.
As well as this, the podcast also addresses the adversities encountered within pubs, including confrontations, excessive drinking, and difficult customers. An anonymous recording, the podcast aims to offer an outlet for industry members to navigate their struggles while directing them to resources like the License Trade Charity helpline, which is a stand-out charity in the sector, offering help with financial struggles, general mental health and therapy.
Matt Platts, General Manager of the Soar Point, said, “I’m immensely proud to unveil this podcast. Initiatives facilitating discussions around mental health are crucial, especially considering the often-unseen challenges so often faced by hospitality staff. Providing a safe space for my team to share their thoughts is so important to me and this podcast is a great way to start those sometimes difficult-to-have conversations.”
Matt, who has now been in the industry for over 17 years, has worked his way up through roles, and has always been passionate about his time in hospitality. After briefly trying a different career path that didn’t work for him, and falling into depression following this, Matt realised how important it was to be happy at work, a topic Matt had never spoken about until he started this podcast journey.
After meeting with a local Area Manager, Matt decided hospitality was his route back to happiness, and now in his position as General Manager, works alongside a team he considers some of his closest friends, all whilst having a great time! His takeaway: “It’s important to have fun at work, otherwise what’s the point?”
The “We Can’t Do This Forever” podcast seeks to serve as a form of “mini-therapy” and as a regular check-in to monitor staff well-being, intending to encourage broader conversations about mental health in the industry and to increase team bonds, and confidence to speak out.
For further information about the podcast, visit Instagram and YouTube.
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For press enquiries please contact Hannah Leeland at: hannahleeland@leisurepr.co.uk