Three Local Charities set to Share £3,000 to help the homeless

Three local charities supporting homeless people in Cambridge will receive a donation from local lawyers for the second year running this Christmas.

The Cambridge office of Irwin Mitchell has again nominated Jimmy’s Cambridge; Wintercomfort and Cambridge Cyrenians to receive £1,000 each, as part of the £39,000 set aside for charities helping the homeless throughout the UK by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF).

Supporting charities for the homeless in December has been established as one of the firm’s best loved festive traditions. Last year, £13,000 was donated to homeless charities, an amount that has been tripled this year, with each office having £3,000 to support projects in the community.

For over 45 years, Cambridge Cyrenians has been providing a range of accommodation, support and specialist services for homeless men and women.

James Martin, Director of Cambridge Cyrenians, said: “We all want to say a huge thankyou to Irwin Mitchell for the £1,000 Christmas donation. The money will be a huge help in supporting our accommodation service, specialist services for older homeless people and our allotment project.”

Wintercomfort provide a day centre seven days a week, providing welfare, learning and development, alongside employment opportunities in their social enterprises for homeless individuals all year round. In 2018 the charity supported over 800 individuals, the charity was founded in 1991.

Sarah Halls, Chief Executive at Wintercomfort, said: “ Wintercomfort existing to enable homeless individuals to move on from homelessness positively, This donation for £1,000 from Irwin Mitchell will be put to good use, delivering what remains a difficult challenge and are really grateful for their support at what is always a busy time of year.”

Jimmy’s Cambridge has spent over two decades working with the local community, volunteers and partner agencies to deliver 24/7 emergency accommodation and was the first all-year round night shelter for homeless people.

Barry Griffiths Community, Fundraising and Events Manager at Jimmy’s, said: “Everyone connected with Jimmy’s would like to say a big thank you to Irwin Mitchell for supporting us again this Christmas. Without donations from companies like Irwin Mitchell and local people, we would not be able to deliver essential services for the homeless or vulnerably housed in our area.”

Expert Opinion

“As a firm, we are passionate about doing what we can to support important causes in the community and we are thrilled to be able to triple the amount given to our homeless charities this Christmas.

All three charities complement each other by supporting the city’s homeless in unique ways and all of us are proud to help them alleviate suffering and poverty at Christmas. As in previous years, we are looking forward to helping Jimmy’s wrap and collect Christmas presents again this year.” Neil Whiteley - Managing Partner, Technical Client Services

The donations are part of a nationwide programme developed by the IMCF, an independent registered charity that has donated more than £2 million to good causes in the UK and £284,000 in 2018 alone since it was established in 1997.