Staff At Law Firm’s City Centre Office Raise £22,000

Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity (BCHC) is set to benefit from a record £22,000 donation from Irwin Mitchell’s city centre office, after staff at the firm spent a year raising funds for the good cause.

BCHC was voted for by staff at the office to be their Charity of the Year for 2017 as part of a nationwide initiative established by the Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF). 

Established in 1997, IMCF is an independent registered charity set up by the firm which has donated more than £1.6 million to third sector organisations.

Following 12 months of fundraising activities, including a campaign to raise £20,000 in a month to celebrate IMCF’s 20^th anniversary, nationally, the law firm raised a record £180,000 during 2017. In doing so, the majority of the firm’s regional offices, including Birmingham, smashed their own fundraising records in the process.

The bumper donation, which is £3000 more than the staff raised in 2016, will help the 90,000 children and young people and their families who receive care from the UK specialist paediatric centre, each year.

Eloise Davidson, Corporate Fundraising Manager for BCHC, said: “We were thrilled to be Irwin Mitchell’s Charity of the Year 2017, and are incredibly grateful for all the money they have raised which will go towards our Critical Journeys Appeal. This appeal raises money to equip a fleet of four ambulances with the latest life-saving equipment. The money will go towards equipment and training to ensure the highest standard of medical care, whether that is neonatal or paediatric.” 

Martin McQueen, a partner from the law firm, nominated the charity to receive the firm’s support after his son Alex benefited from the hospital’s specialist care when he was struck down with Group B Strep Meningitis (bacterial) and went into septic shock just 18 days after being born. It was thanks to BCH’s KIDS emergency paediatric transportation service that Alex was able to receive the life-saving care before it was too late.

Martin said: “Alex should have died. My wife Lindsey and I have no doubt that, without the amazing and immediate care he received, he wouldn’t be here today. By way of update, Alex celebrated 18 months in January and is now walking and very nearly talking.  He is doing well and, although he remains under the care of BCH’s Neurology Team, is now a thriving little monkey - truly a fully-formed rascal.”

Stuart Henderson, Regional Managing Partner at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: 

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“It’s an honour to be able to provide this record donation to a truly fantastic cause in our local community.

“Last year we celebrated 20 years of the IMCF and I am delighted that thanks to the creativity and generosity of Irwin Mitchell employees, we made our anniversary year a record breaking one.

“Everyone at IM is passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and making a real difference to the lives of those supported by our Charities of the Year.

“We are incredibly proud of what we achieved last year. Hearing how BCHC is going to use the donation, and the positive impact that will have on those they care for, is spurring on our staff to think of bigger and better ways to fundraise for this year’s good cause.” Stuart Henderson - Partner