Irwin Mitchell Nominates Charity Of The Year For 2020

A non-profit organisation in Southampton which helps those with mental health conditions looks set to enjoy a welcome fundraising boost in the coming months, after it was nominated by lawyers and staff at the local office of Irwin Mitchell to be their Charity of the Year for 2020.

Every year, staff across all 13 of the national law firm’s offices take part in a vote to select a local cause which they will then support through both voluntary work and a host of different fundraising activities and events. 

The initiative is a key part of the work undertaken by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF), an independent charity which has raised more than £2 million for a host of different charities both in the UK and abroad since its launch in 1997.

This year, the Southampton office of Irwin Mitchell has voted to give its support to Capable Creatures, a user-led non-profit organisation, based in the city created by people with mental health conditions, which looks to empower and enable others with mental health conditions to live a fulfilling life.

Expert Opinion

“Our firm has always been committed to getting involved in the communities where we are based and doing what we can to support some of the vital causes which operate within the region.

The Charity of the Year initiative is a great opportunity for us to do that and we are delighted to be supporting Capable Creatures across 2020. The issue of mental health is rightly getting the attention that it deserves across the UK at the moment and this organisation does great work on that front.

We are very excited about seeing what we can do to support Capable Creatures across the months ahead.” Guy Darlaston - Partner

Capable Creatures supports those with mental health conditions in a number of ways and primarily looks to help them access everyday activities through Peer Support and the use of Assistance Dogs.

The latter is a major focus for the organisation at the moment, as it is currently developing its Guides for the Mind Assistance Dogs Programme to assist people with disabling mental health conditions in the training of their own dogs as their Assistance Dogs, to support their mental well-being.

Lise Marron, founder and trustee of Capable Creatures, said: “We are overjoyed that Irwin Mitchell’s Southampton office has selected us to be their Charity of the Year for 2020 and looking forward to working with their staff.

“We have major plans and ambitions for the coming months and their support will undoubtedly be invaluable as we look to develop our support for so many different types of people. We are really looking forward to working alongside them in the weeks ahead.”