Irwin Mitchell CFO Raises Thousands For Charity By Running Marathon

Staff at law firm Irwin Mitchell have handed a cheque for £3,507 to Martin House Children’s Hospice.

This Wednesday a representative from the Wetherby-based charity, along with their mascot Marty the Bear, attended Irwin Mitchell’s offices in Leeds, where they were presented with the donation.

The cash came from sponsorship money raised by the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Merrick, who passed on the cheque alongside one of the firm’s medical negligence specialists, Rachelle Mahapatra.

The keen runner took a break from the budgets to battle the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon in aid of Martin House, for a second year, on 11 October. 

Andrew completed the mammoth race in an impressive 2 hours 59:17 seconds, beating his time from last year by 7 ½ minutes.

He raised £2,300 which was topped up by the Irwin Mitchell Charity Foundation.

Martin House Children’s Hospice is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and offers family led care to children with life-limiting conditions, providing a place where children, young people and their families can turn to for support, rest and practical help.

Over the years the hospice has supported many of the firm’s clients from Leeds and the surrounding areas, providing respite care or end of life care.

Andrew, who is based in the Sheffield office and has been running marathons for seven years, said this was his last competitive road marathon.

Expert Opinion

It was great to bow out of competitive marathon racing by running for such a fantastic cause. I’m grateful to everyone who sponsored me, the support of Martin House, and those who came to York to cheer me on.

It was a tough race but knowing I was running for a worthy charity like Martin House helped when the going got tough. I hope this donation will make a difference to some children and their families who are requiring their help.
Andrew Merrick - Chief Financial Officer

John Haigh, Corporate Fundraiser at Martin House, said: “We are delighted to be here to receive this cheque and very grateful to Andrew for his efforts raising this money on our behalf.

“Donations like this make a real difference to the lives of so many children and families throughout the county.

“His competitive racing days may now be behind him but we hope that stories like his inspire others to follow in his steps.”