Team Help Vulnerable And Isolated People In Leicester

A team of staff from national law firm Irwin Mitchell have taken part in a community challenge to refurbish a city-centre building for vulnerable and isolated people in Leicester.

The challenge was a part of the Leicestershire Cares initiative, which sees key organisations come together to help support their local community and other disadvantaged groups in the region.

The team, along with staff from chartered accountants and business advisers MacIntyre Hudson, repainted the main hall of the Centre Project, a meeting place for homeless and vulnerable adults and young people in the centre of Leicester.

The Centre provides drop in sessions, freshly cooked daily meals, support and advice, meaningful occupation and opportunities for stimulus and interaction. It aims to provide a calm and friendly atmosphere aimed at improving social skills and increasing self- esteem and self-confidence.

The team from Irwin Mitchell was lead by Helen Ashton, a Partner at the firm. She said:  “The Centre has been on the project’s list for a while, and we were delighted to get the opportunity to help out. This was a chance to help a project which is in the heart of the city centre and helps some of the most vulnerable in society.”

Trish Burnell of MacIntyre Hudson said: “We are proud to have supported such a worthwhile cause. It also gave us the opportunity to meet fellow Leicestershire professionals in a slightly different environment than we would normally be used to!”

Eric Waweru, from The Centre Project, said: “The challenge has transformed the room to provide a clean and decent space for our service users. It has enabled the organisation to save on maintenance expenses with our savings directed to service delivery and meeting the needs of our service users.”

Rosie Colls, Community Development Coordinator at Leicestershire Cares, added:

“The challenge was part of the Leicestershire Cares initiative which enables staff from local companies to come together to support their local community and other disadvantaged groups in the region.

“Irwin Mitchell has been very active and positive members of Leicestershire Cares since joining three years ago, and has provided teams of volunteers for numerous community groups in the region.

“These community projects provide services for some of the most vulnerable client groups and all volunteer teams have delivered excellent  and well planned assistance every time. This is undoubtedly due to the commitment of the staff volunteers, but it is also due to the willingness of the company to commit resources to each project.”