Shoosmiths LLP raises over £74,000 in aid of Winston’s Wish

Winston’s Wish, the leading childhood bereavement charity in the UK, is very grateful to Shoosmiths LLP who selected Winston’s Wish as its Charity of the Year and has raised a whopping £74,961 through staff and partner donations.

Currently, Winston’s Wish reaches more than 40,000 bereaved children and young people in the UK each year through specialist services.

The funds raised by Shoosmiths LLP will go a long way to helping fund the vital work the charity undertakes with children and young people who have bereaved of a parent or sibling.

Nicola Ellen, Corporate Responsibility Consultant at Shoosmiths LLP, said:

“Staff and partners at Shoosmiths LLP truly lived the company values during our partnership with Winston’s Wish. Following visits to all the offices to launch the partnership a busy calendar of local office activities got underway, co-ordinated by the office charity champions and our first year trainees”.

Partners and staff enjoyed a wide variety of activities throughout the year; including breakfast events in support of the charity’s annual Great British Brekkie campaign. Other activities included a fashion show organised by the Edinburgh office, street collection by the Manchester office aided by Winston Bear (the charity’s mascot) and a variety of cake sales and bake-off competitions at the Northampton, Southampton and Thames Valley Offices.

The company also encouraged their first-year trainee solicitors to complete a number of corporate responsibility challenges including a target to raise £3,200 for Winston’s Wish.  The trainees undertook the challenge with enthusiasm and smashed their target – raising £6,865 through a variety of activities that engaged the whole business.

Fergus Crow, Chief Executive at Winston’s Wish, added:

“Corporate support from Shoosmiths LLP raised more than £74,000 for Winston’s Wish in 2014/15. That alone is truly incredible – but Shoosmiths has offered us so much more. Fundraising initiatives at the company’s offices have helped to raise awareness of our charity and the valuable work we do across the UK”.

Winston’s Wish helps children and young people rebuild their lives after the death of their mum, dad, brother or sister, enabling them to face the future with confidence and hope.