London-based startup Impala wins Best Digital Innovation Award at the Business Charity Awards
Impala wins coveted award through its work with charity Carefree, which saw Impala powering up a booking hub to help 4000 carers access 2,000 rooms per month for a vital break.
Last night Impala, the London-based startup using technology to empower and reimagine the travel industry won Best Digital Innovation Award for its work with charity Carefree at the Business Charity Awards.
Since November 2021 our technology has enabled 129 hotels across the UK to release circa 2,000 rooms per month, with 1015 nights booked by carers so far.
Ben Stephenson
Impala CEO
Taking place at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square, the award was presented to the organisation that best used digital innovation to evolve its service delivery, and faced stiff, worthy, competition.
Impala, the technology behind Carefree's booking hub, allows unpaid carers to take a well deserved break. The award-winning submission highlighted how both businesses worked side-by-side to create a low-touch, high-impact tech solution for mobilising the distribution of the 1 million hotel rooms left unsold in the UK each week, into short breaks for unpaid carers.
This follows the insight from Carers UK that 72% of carers have been facing burnout since the pandemic, and that 74% are unable to take any breaks at all. The collaboration is bringing much needed innovation at a crucial time for the social care sector, which relies on unpaid carers to continue to provide 80% of home care, valued at £193bn per year.
The impact of our work with Impala has been immediate, with 89% of carers reporting that they couldn’t have taken a break without the initiative and 95% seeing an improvement in their wellbeing.
Charlotte Newman
Carefree CEO
The Business Charity Awards recognises and rewards the partnerships between outstanding corporate and not-for-profit organisations, and celebrates their achievements, with more than 20 categories available to enter for 2022, highlighting the achievements of partnerships and individual teams.
Impala CEO Ben Stephenson says: “We’re incredibly proud to receive this award and to be recognised for our work with Carefree. Impala’s universal API powers Carefree’s booking hub with live room availability, and the capability for any hotel to easily release its unsold rooms to the charity for distribution to unpaid carers in need of a vital break. Since November 2021 our technology has enabled 129 hotels across the UK to release circa 2,000 rooms per month, with 1015 nights booked by carers so far. We’re incredibly proud and humbled to be a part of such a worthy cause.”
Carefree CEO Charlotte Newman says: “Carefree marries technology with community spirit to solve critical challenges, and help to transform vacant accommodation into vital breaks for unpaid carers. The impact of our work with Impala has been immediate, with 89% of carers reporting that they couldn’t have taken a break without the initiative and 95% seeing an improvement in their wellbeing. It's a privilege to be receiving this award and to be recognised for our efforts”
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