Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation Reaches £2m Milestone

Charity workers at Digswell Place Group Riding for Disabled (RDA) were left breathless when the local office of Irwin Mitchell informed them that staff had raised an amazing £40,000 as part of the law firm’s Charity of the Year initiative.

Colleagues at Irwin Mitchell spent 12 months raising the much needed funds to support Digswell’s work in helping people with disabilities enjoy horse riding, carriage driving, vaulting and show jumping as part of physical and psycho-social therapy while offering a chance to achieve. Nationally, RDA marks 50 years in 2019 and Digswell was one of the first founders. What started as an initiative with two borrowed horses has developed into a thriving programme, helping thousands of people every year.

The Digswell Place Group was nominated by staff at Irwin Mitchell’s London office to be their Charity of the Year for 2018, as part of the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF) programme. Established in 1997, IMCF is an independent registered charity which, thanks to last year’s efforts, has now donated more than £2 million to third sector organisations throughout the UK and a total of £284,000 in 2018 alone.

In addition to the donation, staff at Irwin Mitchell helped the charity in a number of ways, from working parties helping at the yard, to assisting at the charity’s own fundraising initiatives. These efforts are set to help the group provide thousands of therapeutic rides for over 100 children and adults in the Welwyn Hatfield area and expand existing activities.

Sue Clarke, chair of the Digswell Place Group, said: “The donation from Irwin Mitchell has left us all breathless, it's a game changing amount for us and means we can realise our plans to build a second arena. We are so grateful to all at Irwin Mitchell who have helped us in so many ways over the past year"

Suffering from a connective tissue disorder, (which causes her joints to dislocate) Louise started riding at Digswell four years ago, aiming to strengthen her leg muscles, and meet new people. The experience has changed her life. Louise trained as a coach, which has given her new purpose, while the prospect of a second riding school - something that seemed impossible at one time due to lack of funds, is now set to become a reality.

Louise said: “I see and have experienced the positive effects riding has on disabled individuals, and to be able to offer that to more people on a regular basis would be extremely gratifying. So thank you so much for presenting us with this extraordinary donation. It will really make a difference to so many.”

Expert Opinion

“We are all absolutely delighted to hear what a difference our fundraising will make. Digswell Place does amazing work within the local community so to raise such a sum is a great feeling. Many of us have seen first-hand what RDA does for people and this has undoubtedly spurred on our fundraising efforts.” Alison Eddy - Partner