Almost 40 Members Of Staff Walking 36 Miles For Local Charity

Almost 40 members of staff from law firm Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office will be undertaking a 36-mile walk to raise money for Eckersley House, a charity based in Leeds.

The ‘Eck of a Trek’ will take place on June 19th and see participants walking from the law firm’s head office in Sheffield back to Leeds to raise money for the charity, which is part of the Sick Children’s Trust.

Eckersley House offers a home from home for families when children need to stay in hospital for treatment and is open 365 days a year, offering facilities to 23 families per night, which includes private bedrooms, direct lines to hospital wards and play rooms for siblings.

The charity relies entirely on fundraising and donations to continue providing these facilities to families in Yorkshire. A donation of £30 is enough to provide facilities for a family for a night and keep them together when a loved one is going through a medical procedure.

Rachelle Mahapatra, an expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office who will be taking part in the trek, said: 

Expert Opinion

“Eckersley House provides crucial support for families who are going through a very tough time. We work with a lot of families who use the services of Eckersley House and we know just how important it is to have a comfortable and safe place to stay at such a difficult time.

“I’m delighted to be able to take part in the ‘Eck of a Trek’ event and help raise funds that will keep the charity going and providing crucial services for local people." Rachelle Mahapatra - Partner

Jonathan Greaves, a management accountant at Irwin Mitchell's Sheffield office, who used the services of Eckersley House, said: “Eckersley House provided accommodation while our son Elliott was in intensive care following post-natal open heart surgery at the Leeds General Infirmary in 2012.

“We live over an hour’s drive from the hospital and clearly we wanted to be with our son at this very emotional time. It was a blessing to stay in such clean, comfortable accommodation just a stone’s throw from the ward and obviously it saved us the expense of hotels elsewhere in the city.

“The staff were extremely kind and sensitive to our stressful situation. It is a pleasure to be able to give something back to this charity as thanks on a personal level but also to help them sustain this service for all the other families who require similar support in the future.”

For more information or to donate please visit the ‘Eck of a Trek’ Just Giving page.