Giving back

Our CSR team have been working hard over the last 12 months to ensure that we continue to deliver on all aspects of our CSR strategy and since the start of this year we have supported a wide range of local charities, cultural events and community initiatives.

With many of our Partners and senior lawyers playing an active role as board members and trustees for charities across the region – including The Dunelm Foundation, Suubi Africa UK and Feeding Families – fundraiser dinners are a staple in our events diary and we have been humbled by the generosity of everyone who has attended these events and helped to raise valuable funds.

Alongside our sponsorship of a range of local sporting clubs, we were delighted to return as sponsor for the renowned Durham Regatta and also The DASH!, an athletics event exclusively for primary school children which promotes sport and physical activity as a positive lifestyle choice for children and their families.

We also sent a team of volunteers to work the water station at this year’s Durham City Run, keeping the thirsty runners hydrated and cheering on anyone who needed a few words of encouragement at the half way point.

As long-standing supporters of Durham Cathedral we were very proud to see our name inscribed in the Liber Vitae or ‘Book of Life’ earlier this year, alongside other individuals and organisations who have given generously to the Cathedral over the years. The tradition of recording benefactors’ details in this way dates back to the middle ages and was re-established in 2007 with the creation of a new Liber Vitae, specifically designed and bound for Durham Cathedral. A great honour indeed.

And, as regular sponsors of Durham Book Festival, we were delighted to be approached this year to be the festival’s first access sponsor, allowing the provision of Stagetext live captions at all of their Gala Theatre events. Stagetext are a deaf-led charity, passionate about making culture accessible to all. They employ the latest technology and set the highest standards in access, to give everyone a complete and equal experience of the arts. It was great to see these captions in action at the “Audience with Alexander McCall Smith” event back in October.

As always, our team have blown us away with their own individual efforts too, making a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable members of our community through their generous donations to our two collections for Durham Food Bank; one just prior to the school Summer holidays and one in the run up to Christmas.

A huge thank you to all of our team for their ongoing support and to all of the charities out there doing such valuable work in very challenging times.