Celebrating A Year Of Fundraising And Making A Difference In Our Local Communities

A year on from launching a new national charity partnerships initiative, Irwin Mitchell and the three charities involved have worked together to deliver support and volunteering across the country, topped with £225,000 in fundraising and donations raised for all three good causes in the first year.

Last year, colleagues at Irwin Mitchell voted for the Teenage Cancer Trust; cancer support charity Maggie’s and The National Literacy Trust for Irwin Mitchell’s charity partnership programme.

The aim of the programme has been to deliver focused support to the three charities involved. The last 12 months has seen progress blossom, with increased fundraising and a closer working relationship with all three charities.

Colleagues have taken part in everything from murder-mystery events to bake sales, sponsored walks to running marathons, raising thousands of pounds in the process. £30,000 of the total was raised thanks to the repurposing of old IT equipment to be directed towards projects which support the three charities own digital inclusion projects.

The money raised was matched by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF) to deliver the £225,000 total. The IMCF has raised over £3 million since it was founded in 1997.

Support has extended beyond traditional donations, to include colleagues volunteering their time and expertise in a range of activities, including gardening work across the country; stewarding at events and using their professional expertise to provide pro-bono legal advice.

The firm’s corporate partnerships have also led to further opportunities, including the National Literacy Trust nominating a mascot as part of Irwin Mitchell’s relationship with England Rugby.

Kate Fergusson is Director of Responsible Business and Sustainability at Irwin Mitchell

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“It’s been an amazing experience working with our new charity partners over the past year, learning more about them and how to use our colleagues’ time and skills to support their work where it’s most needed.

“Our colleagues have stepped up to the challenge and its inspiring to see many of the projects that have been undertaken.” Kate Fergusson, Director of Responsible Business and Sustainability

Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support for young people aged 13-24, across the UK; funding nurses, youth workers and hospital units to support patients receiving treatment.

Heather Bowen, Senior relationship manager, at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “It’s been another busy year for Teenage Cancer Trust and support from Irwin Mitchell has allowed us to do more to help the many young people who rely on our services.

“We’ve learned a lot about the way we all work over the past 12 months and we’re really looking forward to the coming year and joining forces again to make an impact on teenage cancer and help more people than ever.”

Maggie’s is a specialist charity that offers free support to people with cancer at 24 centres across the UK, helping both people with cancer and their families and friends. Maggie’s helps people take back control when cancer turns life upside down, with support for anything from treatment side effects to worrying about money.

Hannah Harding, Corporate partnerships lead at Maggie’s, said: “The last year has flown by and in that time, we’ve been able to get to know a number of people at Irwin Mitchell and work with them on several projects in support of people with cancer.

“Practical support where it’s needed can be as important as fundraising and we’re grateful for all the help over the last year and looking forward to building on this work as we move into summer.”

The National Literacy Trust empowers children, young people and adults with the literacy skills they need to succeed, supporting schools, families and communities. Literacy is a vital element of action against poverty and improving reading, writing, speaking and listening skills improves life chances, wellbeing and employability – ultimately enabling children to reach their full potential.

Charlotte Scurrah, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, said: “We are very grateful to Irwin Mitchell for their support over the past year. Not only has the money raised helped us to reach and support the literacy skills of more children and young people in the UK’s poorest communities but their support of the Vision for Literacy Pledge has helped to further national efforts to close the literacy gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers.

“Reading, writing, speaking and listening skills give you the tools to get the most out of life and the power to shape your future. With the support of Irwin Mitchell and others, we're helping children change their stories.”