No matter how difficult you think your life is, there’s always someone who faces challenges worse than yours, and this has been true of people throughout the ages. In biblical times, land owners were encouraged to allow the poor to follow the harvesters and glean what they could from what was left over.
I am pleased to say that our legal practice believes in supporting those facing hard times. The Jackson Lees Foundation has just made its annual donations to Hope for Justice who help victims of trafficking, Charles Thompson Mission who support the needy in Birkenhead, Wirral Mencap, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities and The Choir With No Name who help raise self-esteem of the homeless through singing and socialising.
But what also amazes me is the wonderful charity work done by our staff in their own time. Take Lynn Gregg, one of our client services staff, who you will probably speak to if you are looking to move home. Lynn is a member of a motor bike group which is organising a ride of bikers dressed in red who will form a circle around the M60 in Manchester on Remembrance Day. The group regularly ride to support Alder Hey and Claire House, and provide gifts to patients at Christmas and Easter.
Claire Hardman, our Head of HR, helps organise an annual charity fashion event in support of the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, run by Roz Tranfield. Roz runs a support network for women who have been treated at Clatterbridge. Over 500 people attend the fashion evening which has already raised substantial sums. The event is a real morale boost for those living with cancer but it could not happen without the work of volunteers like Claire.
Robert Burke is one of our Police Actions Solicitors and he has run an Explorer Scout Group for more than 17 years. The members come from a variety of backgrounds and gain life skills through engagement with outward bounds activities involving camping and cooking. Robert says that what he finds really rewarding is to see young people for different schools and backgrounds making lifelong friendships through sharing in challenging activities.
Other members of staff support charities helping asylum seekers and some volunteer to teach English to new arrivals. Cathy Wilson volunteers on Refugee Actions Gateway Protection Programme and the English Support programme which involved working with refugees who had been settled through the GPP. Meanwhile Kathryn Walker, one of our Secretaries in Birkenhead, runs with Mums for Marathons and next November is cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia to raise money for Claire House. Best of luck Kathryn. Lizzie Browne, one of our lawyers, is a committee member of OLLY, a charity dedicated to supporting children who have lost a family member due to homicide and in some of this work she is supported by colleague Lisa Harbour. The children supported by the group are growing fast in numbers and Lizzie is working hard to raise the money needed.
Michael Fagan, one of our Trainee Solicitors, negotiated Hellrunner last weekend, a half-marathon obstacle course in Delamere forest and recently undertook Nightrider, a 100km bike ride through the night all for charity. He certainly likes an exciting life whilst raising large sums of money for good causes. Jenna Ellison is a member of the local Women’s Solicitor Group raising monies for local charities and Stuart Capstick has recently raised £650 for RNID in a charity run. Alexander Mansfield, our Finance Director, is a volunteer Treasurer of two charities and a member of a third. He also volunteers for Natural England at Rostherne Mere.
Joanna Kingston Davies, our COO, and Andrew Gillespie, one of our family solicitors, are both school governors. 17 members of staff are sleeping out on the 10th November at Goodison Park to support Everton in the Community and raise vital funds for the homeless and a team recently took part in the Liverpool Legal Walk supporting justice charities.
Giving back something to the community is truly part of our DNA at the Jackson Lees Group and it all makes a big difference. I really want to thank all our staff members for their huge commitment to society, the business and each other. I know that it shows in the way we deal with our clients.