500 Nights of Rest for the NHS - one week left to reward our NHS Heroes

An extraordinary brand-new Blackpool hotel, which was unable to open for its first season, is setting out to offer 500 nights of rest for worn out NHS workers. ART B&B, a community business, is donating 50 nights of free stays and fundraising to provide an additional 450 nights to take the total to 500. It is an opportunity to say thank you in a special way in a unique place. People supporting the campaign will receive unique rewards such as a thank you certificate including the honorary title of ‘Official Blackpool Landlady.’

Donations close at midnight on 7 July 2020.

Ahhhhh Blackpool! A national treasure renowned for providing fresh air, clean beaches, and the best park in the UK for two years running. It is an ideal resort for safe rest and recuperation after Covid-19 has locked us down and exhausted our NHS workforce.

Michael Trainor, artist and one of ART B&B’s volunteer board members said, “As the clapping stops, let's pay our respect to the nurses, doctors, cleaners, porters and others who have been looking after us in a time of national crisis. ART B&B is a fantastic shiny luxurious new hotel full of specially commissioned art installations, great sunsets, but it is missing one thing - guests! The UK has an amazing health service of 1.5 million hardworking people who are going to need a massive thank you and a bit of rest, recuperation and sea air when all this is over, which is what Blackpool was built for in the first place.

“As a community business ART B&B is gifting 50 free night stays for NHS employees, anytime from reopening for the next 12 months. We would love to be able to extend this offer so we are inviting others who feel the same to help achieve a target of 500 Nights of Rest for NHS workers at our wonderful seafront hotel, due to re-open in late July.”

ART B&B have launched a Crowdfunding appeal to enable friends, families, supporters and the great British public to help show their appreciation for NHS workers. The campaign will raise money to contribute up to 450 further nights’ accommodation across the next 12 months. The Crowdfunder will run until the 8th of July, to coincide with the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the NHS.

ART B&B is a community business (not for profit), that was formed to redevelop an extraordinary Victorian hotel on Blackpool’s seafront with a host of amazing artists. This remarkable hotel has 19 artist-commissioned bedrooms and two public spaces, one for exhibitions and live performances, and a welcoming seafront bar (which is now ‘socially-distanced’ in its layout and service design).

Having just put the hoover away (literally!) they were looking forward to their first busy season when you know what happened…

ART B&B have created a series of rewards for anyone who supports the campaign…

• £55 will treat a NHS worker (plus one) to a night's stay at ART B&B at cost price. ART B&B will leave a specially designed personal 'thank you' postcard in the room from the donor.

• £15 makes you an honorary 'ART B&B Lifelong Landlady'*, for which you will receive a certificate designed by artist Michael Trainor, a small work of art itself. As an added bonus we have included a limited edition Michael Trainor print on the reverse of your certificate too.

• £5 buys an NHS worker a ‘double anything’ at the bar.

Michael Trainor continued, “If people can’t donate £55 it doesn’t matter, we are just looking for people to give what they can afford, more than one person can contribute to a night of respite and rest.

“Whilst most of our rooms cost quite a bit more than £55 we’ll ignore the difference, because that amount covers our costs and keeps our team employed so it helps our community business survive and thrive into the future - 100% of the contribution does exactly what it says on the bedpan and goes directly to say thank you to an NHS worker.”

With 1.5m employees in the NHS they are not able to treat everyone. However, ART B&B will work with a series of partner trusts across the country to find the fairest way to select those deserving this special reward.

Finally, Michael said, “By joining this campaign , people will be rewarding both NHS key workers and supporting the arts whilst they sleep. We look forward to unlocking our doors and welcoming any supporters of this campaign at our hotel too. Currently, we are scheduled to open for 25th July 2020.”

Find out more at www.artbb.org and https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/500-nights-rest-for-nhs-workers

* The Landlady is a non-gender specific term that applies to everyone who gets involved in this reward.

#500NightsNHS

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1.

Images

Images can be found here of the logo, Michael Trainor and Art B&B

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ki6irbbc0qli51k/AAAXlf0SGWU5FlqBYKbPcf0Za?dl=0

2.

Interviews

Home-or hotel based telephone and video interviews are available on request.

Social distancing interviews are also available.

3.

About ART B&B

ART B&B is a community business (not for profit), that was formed to redevelop an extraordinary Victorian hotel on Blackpool’s seafront with a host of amazing artists. This remarkable hotel has 19 artist-commissioned bedrooms and two public spaces, one for future exhibitions and live performances, and a small, welcoming bar area.

Art B&B has been made possible using funding from Arts Council England, Power to Change, The Tudor Trust, LeftCoast, Department for Culture Media and Sport, Coastal Communities Fund and Unlimited.