Hotelier with heart Marty Short will be sleeping homeless this week as part of ongoing charitable support, as the family-run group unfurls further enhancement of its holistic approach to hospitality.
Homelessness in Australia is an ongoing problem, and over 100,000 people reside without shelter every night. Many more face the prospect in the wake of job losses and financial insecurity brought on by the pandemic.
Shorty has been a long-time friend of the St Vincent de Paul Society and Matthew Talbot Hostel, racking up an association 32 years and counting, since his days at boarding school, working with Talbot to feed homeless people. These days he amplifies that support through his role on the committee of Hotels Have Hearts.
Like pubs, Vinnies’ outlets were closed or under-staffed during the shutdown period, and found themselves overwhelmed with donated goods. Short arranged to place collection bins and extra collection points with some like-minded hoteliers around NSW, helping manage the incoming clothes and other items.
This recent initiative led Vinnies to ask Shorty to participate in their annual CEO Sleepout campaign, raising money for the homeless. The virus has interfered with the usual exercise this year, and organisers have requested those involved sleep on their couches, without access to comforts (or alcohol).
At the moment the Australian Heritage Hotel is undergoing significant renovation, with stripped walls and floors throughout, including the upper levels – where Marty and Stu Laundy lived after leaving high school.
Offering that a better place for a (homeless) publican to “get a small glimpse” of the life was in a gutted pub than on a couch, Thursday 18 June Shorty will be in The Aussie in a swag.
“It’s been a tough few months for all of us out there,” he says. “I have decided this year I wanted to do my part and raise awareness, not just dollars, and bring to the forefront of people’s minds those that are doing it much harder than others.”
The COVID-19 crisis has forced existential contemplation upon us all, and the Shorts have been amongst those actively looking for new ways forward. With a greater eye on broader potential in their assets, the family has tweaked the umbrella to become W. Short Group (WSG) – sans Hotel – encompassing both Hospitality and Leisure.
This represents what Shorty calls his “more holistic” approach to the same core values, servicing people, and a bolt-on enhancement of what they already do well.
While the pubs were closed, WSG swiftly converted some of its venues to mini supermarkets, launching a new house brand ‘Local Direct’ with its own labelling and information. The Royal in Leichhardt also became a distributor for the renowned Graze Meats, out of Willow Tree.
Furthering the enhancement, recognising what they believe will be increasing demand for regional accommodation, WSG is taking some of its pubs across to the Accommodation Association of Australia, while leaving the pub-style pubs in the capable hands of the AHA.
“Being busy has brought me lots of opportunities I never thought we’d have, and I’ve really got some cool stuff happening,” adds Shorty.
“I’m calling it survival of the busiest: the busier you were during this thing the better you’re going to be coming out of it.”
Despite what he describes as a “few challenges on pressure points”, response from the pivotal initiatives has reportedly been overwhelmingly positive, bringing a lot of “feel good” to the WSG team, which Marty hopes will spread back to the locals.
“Everything we strove to do before and during has been amazingly returned in patronage and loyalty from our communities.
“We’ve all gone through this hardship and uncertainty. To now have a glimmer of a better future is unbelievable.
“It’s really tested all of us and hopefully made us, I think, stronger. It’s been horrible, but there are going to be some silver linings.”
SUPPORT SHORTY SLEEPING ROUGH
Goal $500
Money pledged to date (at time of publication) $6902
CEO Sleepout fundraiser – Marty Short
