Local Lawyers Triple Amount Given To Charities This Christmas

London lawyers are donating £3,000 to homeless charities this Christmas as part of one top firm’s efforts to alleviate suffering and poverty in the capital this festive season.

The London office of Irwin Mitchell is sharing the money equally between The Lodge; Streets Kitchen and akt (formerly The Albert Kennedy Trust) – all part of the £39,000 set aside for homeless charities across the country by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF).

The ICMF is an independent registered charity that has donated over £2 million to good causes in the UK since it was established in 1997. The annual Christmas donation to homeless charities is a tradition that has snowballed in value every year. The £6,500 donated in 2017 doubled to £13,000 in 2018 and this year money for good causes across the country has tripled to £39,000.

All three charities are well known to Irwin Mitchell staff. The Lodge provides accommodation for long term rough sleepers over 40 and is a five minute walk away from the firm’s London office. The Lodge is funded by St Mungo’s Broadway, a previous Charity of the Year of the firm and still supported with donations of money and clothing from staff every Christmas.

Irwin Mitchell staff engaged in charity work in London came into contact with volunteers from Streets Kitchen helping the homeless and strongly recommended the charity for support. As a grassroots group, Streets Kitchen provides daily outreaches of food and clothing and is entirely volunteer run – with many of the volunteers once homeless themselves.

Staff were impressed by one volunteer spending two evenings a week making a massive meal in a slow cooker to bring to the Camden Streets Kitchen - after doing a full day of work both days.

akt provides safe homes and better futures for LGBT+ people aged 16-25. Once homeless, LGBT youth are more likely to experience violence and discrimination. Knowledge of this and for its work on youth homelessness led staff to nominate akt for this year’s Christmas donation.

Carrie Reiners, director of fundraising from akt, said: “Many young people seeking our help come from minority communities where there is a clash between faith, culture and LGBT acceptance. This donation from Irwin Mitchell helps to ensure that no young person has to choose between a safe home and being who they are.’’

Tom, one of the volunteers at Streets Kitchen, said: “I want to thank Irwin Mitchell for this donation, which will help us provide everything from sleeping bags and tents to waterproof items and shoes to those who need them in Clapham, Camden, Kilburn, Dalston and Hackney this Christmas.”

Expert Opinion

“Anyone who lives and works in London knows there are many people on our streets with nowhere to call home this winter. These donations allow us to support those charities in our local community working to help them and it’s amazing to be able to donate £3,000 to such worthy causes this year.

Caseworkers at akt are seeing increasing numbers of young people reporting honour-based violence, arranged marriage, conversion therapies and arrangements to be sent abroad following coming out as LGBT. Thorough our support, akt can provide accommodation, training and support so that young people get the start in life that they deserve.

Rebecca Lanham, one of our solicitors, encountered volunteers from Streets Kitchen whilst volunteering at Crisis at Christmas. Her stories of their work made a big impression on all of us, while the Lodge is on our doorstep.

All three charities impressed us with their sheer hard work and dedication and we are thrilled to be able to play our part in helping them alleviate suffering and poverty this Christmas.” Alison Eddy - Partner