National Law Firm Raises £180,000 For Good Causes Across The UK

Staff at leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell are celebrating after learning they raised a record breaking £180,000 for 13 charities around the UK, throughout 2017.

Employees across the country nominated and voted for good causes near each of the 13 UK offices to become their Charity of the Year for 2017, as part of a nationwide initiative developed with the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF).

Established in 1997, IMCF is an independent registered charity set up by the firm which has donated more than £1.6 million to third sector organisations.

Following 12 months of fundraising activities including a campaign to raise £20,000 in a single month to celebrate IMCF’s 20th anniversary, a charity ball and talent show, it has been confirmed that the law firm has raised more vital funds for good causes than ever before.

In doing so, the majority of the firm’s regional offices have smashed their own fundraising records in the process.

Organisations such as Age UK Leeds, Dementia Support, Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, and Rape Crisis Tyneside & Northumberland are among the good causes set to benefit from the bumper round of donations.

Personal Injury specialist and Partner, Adrian Budgen, is also Head of the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation, and said: “Last year we celebrated 20 years of the IMCF and I am delighted that thanks to the creativity and generosity of Irwin Mitchell employees, we made our anniversary year a record breaking one.  

Expert Opinion

Everyone at Irwin Mitchell is passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and making a real difference to the lives of those supported by our Charities of the Year.

We are incredibly proud of what we achieved last year. Hearing how the charities are going to use their donations, and the positive impact that will have on their patrons, is spurring on our staff to think of bigger and better ways to fundraise for our new good causes.
Adrian Budgen - National Head of Asbestos and Occupational Disease

Staff at the firm’s office in Birmingham smashed their regional fundraising record by £3000 to raise £22,000 for the city’s Children’s Hospital Charity (BCHC). The charity supports patients of the paediatric centre, which offers expert care to 90,000 children and young people each year. Irwin Mitchell’s donation to the charity will benefit more children like Alex McQueen, son of Martin, a real estate partner at the law firm and his wide Lindsay.

Martin nominated the charity to receive the firm’s support after his son Alex benefited from the hospital’s specialist care when he was struck down with Group B Strep Meningitis (bacterial) and went into septic shock just 18 days after being born. It was thanks to Birmingham Children's Hospital's (BHC) KIDS emergency paediatric transportation service that Alex was able to receive the life-saving care before it was too late.

Martin said: “Alex should have died. My wife Lindsey and I have no doubt that, without the amazing and immediate care he received, he wouldn’t be here today. By way of update, Alex celebrated 18 months in January and is now walking and very nearly talking.  He is doing well and, although he remains under the care of BCH’s Neurology Team, is now a thriving little monkey - truly a fully-formed rascal.”

Elsewhere, Irwin Mitchell’s London office raised £24,000 for children’s mentoring service Friendship Works. The charity aims is to improve the emotional well-being, resilience and life chances of disadvantaged children and young people in the City, through long-term mentoring.

The Sheffield office raised £43,000 for Paces, a leading specialist centre for children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders. The charity has an ever growing reputation for excellence in Conductive Education, the only system available that addresses all of the needs of a child with cerebral palsy.

Other charities to gain donations from Irwin Mitchell’s offices included The Anchor Society, STARS, Crawley Open House, Mustard Tree, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.