Join The Handover for new Talking Hospitality podcasts, blogs and event updates, along with training offers, selected discounts and news on our upcoming membership community.
Managing Director
Rachel Kerr‑Lapsley brings 15 years of frontline hospitality experience—most recently as a Front‑of‑House manager— to her role as Managing Director of Kelly’s Cause, the UK’s leading Mental Health First Aid provider tailored for hospitality
Fuelled by the loss of a young chef, Kelly, who tragically took her own life in 2018, Rachel joined a mission-driven team with lived industry experience to shift the way hospitality supports mental wellbeing. She’s overseen the charity’s growth—training over 2,100 individuals across hundreds of venues—championing real-world, industry-specific mental health tools
Rachel’s days are a blend of operational leadership, consultancy and delivering training—much like running a busy restaurant floor .
Beyond training, Rachel’s advocacy stretches into cultural conversations—she recently joined a public panel on mental health in the coffee industry, tackling topics like inclusion, progression and burnout.
Her message is clear: vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s the essential ingredient for creating sustainable, compassionate hospitality teams.
