Shoosmiths supports annual #givingtuesday campaign

Shoosmiths has again supported the #givingtuesday campaign which took place on Tuesday 29 November 2016. Now in its third year in the UK Giving Tuesday encourages organisations to do ‘good stuff’ for our favourite charities and causes.

We organised the annual firm wide Promises and Presents silent auction with colleagues bidding for nearly 170 items or gifts of time. Nine charities were supported namely Brain Tumour Research, Guide Dogs, Milton Keynes Community Foundation, Motiv8, Northampton Hope Centre, Nottingham Women’s Centre, St Michael’s Hospice, Scottish Association for Mental Health and SIFA Fireside. Staff fundraising plus a firm donation meant that each charity will benefit by £2,500.

A little more about the work of our chosen charities……

Brain Tumour Research charity is striving to fund a network of seven dedicated research centres whilst challenging the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research.

Guide Dogs provides mobility for the blind and partially sighted. It supports research, raises awareness and campaigns for the visually impaired.

Milton Keynes Community Foundation specialises in awarding grants to smaller, lesser known charities and groups as well as the familiar. It supports local people who are working to make a real difference to vulnerable, isolated and disadvantaged people in Milton Keynes. Our funds are targeting projects that encourage community cohesion and people with disabilities of special need.

Motiv8 South supports young people into training and employment opportunities. It helps them through the good times and the tough times but most of all being there when it matters.

Northampton Hope Centre works to relieve poverty and tackle the causes of homelessness in Northampton by giving people a hand up, not a hand out.

Nottingham Women’s Centre runs a refuge service for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. It aims to offer a safe and supportive environment for women to come together to gain confidence, develop skills and help them achieve their goals and become stronger and more independent.

Scottish Association for Mental Health charity provides community based services for over 3,000 people across Scotland, offering support, training and recovery for those experiencing mental health problems, addictions, homelessness and social exclusion.

St Michael’s Hospice in Hampshire provides palliative care for over 500 patients faced with a life limiting illness, their families and carers. The majority of patients who are referred to St. Michael’s are suffering with cancer-related conditions, but care is also provided for those with other chronic life-limiting illnesses. The Hospice’s clinical team works tirelessly with patients to ensure they have the highest possible quality of life, whether care is delivered by the Hospice at Home team or during a stay at our In-Patient Unit.

SIFA Fireside in Birmingham aims to improve health and inclusion for vulnerable people. It works with some of the most vulnerable adults in our society: those experiencing homelessness or who are vulnerably-housed. Many of the people it works with are affected by alcohol, facing mental and physical health problems or otherwise socially excluded. It runs a daily drop in service providing on average 1,031 breakfasts, 2,009 lunches and 429 showers each month for its clients.

We provided further support to the Milton Keynes Community Foundation by taking part in a corporate challenge. Its aim was to raise funds to make grants to projects tackling the effects of child poverty in Milton Keynes – one in five children in Milton Keynes unfortunately live below the poverty line. The wellbeing of a child’s early years has a significant impact on their long term education, job prospects and health. A number of teams took part in competing for the #Giving Tuesday Cup and we were delighted that Shoosmiths was the top performing team, contributing £620 to the grand total raised of £2,797. To read the full story and all the organisations that supported the challenge click here.