Irwin Mitchell Colleagues Smash Previous Fundraising Total

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has received a bumper donation of more than £57,000 from the local office of Irwin Mitchell, after colleagues at the law firm spent a year raising vital funds to support the work of the Charity.

The Selly Park-based charity was nominated by Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office to be their Charity of the Year for 2018 as part of a nationwide programme developed by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF). Established in 1997, IMCF is an independent registered charity set up by the firm which has now donated more than £2 million to third sector organisations.

Irwin Mitchell raised a total of £284,000 for good causes across the UK in 2018, with the Birmingham team’s £57,747 donation to Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice being the largest sum raised by any of its 13 offices.

The funds are set to be a huge boost for the hospice as it celebrates its 40^th year of supporting local families in Birmingham and Sandwell who have been affected by life-limiting illnesses.

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“We are absolutely delighted to be able to provide this donation to such a fantastic cause within the local community. Our Charity of the Year initiative has always been something that our people are very passionate about and they worked extremely hard throughout 2018 to ensure we delivered as much as we possibly could for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice. We are particularly delighted to have raised more than any other office this year and have already set ourselves the target of doing the same again in 2019.” Lisa Jordan - Partner

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has supported many people and their families in recent years, including mother-of-two Jane, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the hospice afterwards.

Jane’s husband Gary, said: “Being at a hospice is never normal but the nurses allowed Jane to enjoy the things she would normally do with her friends and family, like having gatherings or meals with her mates. When Jane passed away it was the hardest time of my life, but the hospice was still there to support me and the family. I received bereavement counselling which helped a lot – I really don’t think I could have got through it without that support.”

The donation provided by Irwin Mitchell will enable Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice to give 40 individuals access to their Family Centre Suite, where they can spend precious time with loved ones.

Pam Hodgetts, corporate partnerships officer at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “We are hugely grateful to Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office for their support across 2018 and this amazing donation. Such funds will allow us to make a major difference to many people’s lives and we truly appreciate all of the effort which has gone into raising these funds.”