Hall & Woodhouse awards £50,000 in the annual Community Chest

Among

Hall & Woodhouse has announced the successful recipients of its annual Community Chest grants – 18 of which are Dorset organisations. In total, the company has awarded more than £50,000 to worthy causes.

Each year, Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) invite applications from charities and community groups across the south of England, largely from Dorset to Devon. This year, a wide variety of charities were awarded funding, and over £25,000 was awarded to the 18 charitable organisations in Dorset, with a further four charities in Wiltshire, Hampshire, and Devon being recognised at the awards ceremony held at The Brewery Tap in Blandford. Mark Woodhouse, Family Director of H&W, said: ‘Our Community Chest was founded over 20 years ago to support and strengthen the local communities which make Hall & Woodhouse such a vibrant company. This year, we have found the need to provide people with food, warmth, and shelter to be extremely high.

‘With costs rising during a financially difficult time for many, being able to offer necessary support for those in desperate need is more important now than ever before. We are proud to make it our duty to help where we can with this critical fund.’

The Vale Pantry, which provides food aid and support to struggling families in North

Funds

Dorset, was awarded £3,000. The grant will be used to purchase fresh food to ensure the charity is able to continue making food packages to meet the increased demand for this service.

Since 2002, the Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest has donated over £760,000 to more than 850 causes across the south of England. The fund works in close partnership with both the Dorset and Sussex Community Foundations.

‘Super six’ promotions at Ellis Jones Solicitors

A Dorset law firm has rewarded rising stars in what it has called a ‘super six’ promotions boost.

Ellis Jones Solicitors announced the appointments as it continues to develop talent from within.

Andy Kirby who specialises in wills, trust and probate, has become the first non-lawyer partner in Ellis Jones’ history. An accountant by profession, he has been with the firm six years, with 25 years in the legal sector.

Jennie Hedges, who has more than 20 years’ conveyancing experience with particular expertise in shared ownership and Help to Buy, has become a senior associate. there were promtions to associate positions or Conor Maher, Georgina Emmerson and Rosemary Drew, who all trained at Ellis Jones, and also Tim McMahon, who joined in 2021. Nigel Smith, managing partner, said: ‘‘We are proud to make Andy our first non-lawyer partner and the 22nd partner overall at the firm while Jennie’s promotion is another example of the fact that you don’t have to be a solicitor to progress at the firm. ‘Our new associates are the next generation of committed and talented lawyers, and I am excited to see how their careers progress.’

The appointments come as Ellis Jones was licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as an Alternative Business Structure, allowing it to appoint nonlawyers as Partners and explore opportunities to grow.