Corporate Social Responsibility. at Trowers & Hamlins

Transcription

1 Corporate Social Responsibility at Trowers & Hamlins

2 Trowers & Hamlins LLP 2013 Produced by Trowers & Hamlins LLP, 3 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YZ. Trowers & Hamlins LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC whose registered office is at 3 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YZ. Trowers & Hamlins LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The word "partner" is used to refer to a member of Trowers & Hamlins LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications or an individual with equivalent status in one of Trowers & Hamlins LLP s affiliated undertakings. A list of the members of Trowers & Hamlins LLP together with those non-members who are designated as partners is open to inspection at the registered office.

3 Contents 1 What Corporate Social Responsibility means to us 3 What it takes to get involved 5 Some of our CSR projects

4 Trowers & Hamlins What Corporate Social Responsibility means to us From running marathons and half marathons to charity bake-offs, cycling challenges, mentoring schemes, reading buddies and renovating communal areas, we take our responsibility to our local communities very seriously and aren t afraid to roll our sleeves up and get stuck in. We have 9 offices across the UK, Middle East and Asia and each office is committed to helping its local community in its own way. The founding principles of our approach to corporate social responsibility are very simple. We believe in: Engaging with our local communities Encouraging children and young people to reach their full potential Enabling fairness and access to justice We are passionate about giving back to our local communities and encourage all our people at every level to get involved in any way they can - whether joining the firm s formal programme of activity or in their own spare time with a local project or charity that s dear to them. And it s not only our local communities that benefit, we benefit because our people benefit from feeling good about giving something back and developing new skills through new experiences. We are passionate about giving back to our local communities and encourage all our people at every level to get involved in any way they can. 1

5 Corporate Social Responsibility Elizabeth Hargreaves and Robert Handley tidying the community in Bordesley Green, West Midlands. 2

6 Trowers & Hamlins What it takes to get involved Chris Munday, a partner and Chair of the firm s CSR Committee, talks about what CSR means to him, his role and the projects that are special to him. Why is CSR important to you? Many of us spend much more of our waking time during the week in the office rather than at home. We cannot therefore ignore the community around us. Whilst many of us enjoy the benefits of a stable upbringing, a decent education and steady job, that cannot be said of all the people who live and work near us. It seems to me obvious that we should be giving back to our local communities. How do you fit your CSR activity around the day job? It s not that difficult as you can achieve a lot in a CSR activity in a reasonably short period of time. In any event there s always time to do things you think are important! What are your current CSR projects? As the partner in charge of CSR I am always trying to think of ways in which we can improve and widen the scope of our CSR work and encourage more people at the firm to join in. Together with the CSR committee I ensure that the projects we run are well resourced and meet the needs of our local communities. On a more personal level I read every week with a 6 year-old boy at Moreland School. It is one of the highlights of my week as he is always so pleased to see me and it is a wonderful antidote to the stress of the day job. What do you personally get out of your CSR activity? There s great satisfaction in being part of large projects such as the redevelopment at Great Ormond Street which will help deliver high-class medical care to sick children. But there s also great satisfaction when my reading buddy sails through a sentence without stumbling. Which initiatives are you particularly proud of? I think our Aspire programme has the potential to be life changing. Through it we are sponsoring top students from disadvantaged areas to study for a law degree. Students who may have been put off going to university because of the fear of large debts are now going thanks in part to our sponsorship. I think our Aspire programme has the potential to be life changing. 3

7 Corporate Social Responsibility Hannah Jackson, a senior associate, talks about why CSR activity is so important to her and a project close to her heart. Why is CSR important to you? As a member of society I feel that it is really important to be involved with the local community and to try to give something back. A legal career is very demanding and there isn t often a lot of time to become involved in activities outside of work so I really value the ability to do this through my employment. Which CSR initiative are you involved with? The firm s student mentoring scheme with Exeter University. Why did you choose that one? I feel very fortunate to have reached my current position in my chosen career and I recognise the support and assistance I ve received from various people. I want to be able to help others in the same way, particularly as I recognise how competitive a career in law is. How much time does it take up? It usually involves a couple of face-to-face meetings and then weekly contact. The current student I am working with will also shortly be spending a week with us for work experience. What have been the high points of your involvement? I think I ve been able to provide a real insight into the reality of and the requirements for a legal career to some of the students I ve worked with and this has assisted them when completing applications for work experience and training contracts and during interviews. It s been really rewarding to keep in touch with students and hear how well they are doing. As a member of society I feel that it is really important to be involved with the local community and to try to give something back. 4

8 Trowers & Hamlins Some of our CSR projects East Potential Routes to Work Programme Since 2004 we have worked with East Potential, a registered charity, whose aim is to make a difference by giving people the chance to succeed in East London and Essex by providing accommodation, training and employment opportunities. Each year we take part in their Routes to Work Programme, a work experience and business mentoring programme. This involves running a two-week work placement scheme for participants twice a year. Over the course of their placement they receive a combination of training ranging from IT skills, assertiveness and communication to time management, job search and interview skills and team working. They also get involved in on-the-job working across various departments in the firm and gain valuable experience in office procedures. From the feedback we ve had from participants, we know that it makes a difference to them, and crucially, has helped them to develop their CV and workplace skills and improve their prospects for future employment. We have now run 120 placements with East Potential of which 20 have resulted in employment with us. In 2012 Trowers & Hamlins hosted 14 placements and eight of those are now in employment and five are close to being ready to enter employment. John Bryson, East Thames 5

9 Corporate Social Responsibility Aspire We want to play our part in supporting high-achieving young people from low-income backgrounds into the top universities and professions. Our Aspire programme is designed to do just that by targeting sixth form students at inner London schools. We are currently supporting two undergraduate students from these boroughs on their journey through university studying law. As part of the programme we have awarded each student 15,000 towards their costs and provide ongoing support and mentoring throughout their course. At the end of their second year both students will be invited to join our undergraduate summer vacation scheme to gain vital work experience to help them pursue their chosen career. We are looking forward to supporting more students over the coming years. Trowers & Hamlins confidence in me and their willingness to contribute to my further education inspires me to get the best grades I can. Lovelace Odoi, undergraduate at Warwick University Reading buddies at Moreland School Learning to read is a vital skill for young children. For 12 years we read with St Paul s Primary School in Whitechapel and still have strong links with the school. We have now teamed up with Moreland School and a group of staff read one-on-one with a child once a week for 30 minutes. It is exciting and a privilege to help them discover the joy of books. It is wonderful to see their reading gradually improve over time and to be a small part of the reason for their success. The children are very rewarding and engaging and are a pleasure to spend time with. David Hughes, reading buddy. Chris Munday, reading buddy. Sarah Lyons, reading buddy. 6

10 Trowers & Hamlins Prime - Helping to improve social mobility We are very proud to be a founding member of the nationwide Prime initiative which aims to improve social mobility by making sure that young people from less privileged backgrounds get access to the work experience opportunities that their talents deserve. Started by just 23 founding firms in 2011, the initiative now includes over 80 law firms across the country. An independent evaluation of the initiative s first year revealed that 90% of participating students have seen their self-confidence improve through participation in the scheme. We see this confidence first-hand through our close links with St Angela s & St Bonaventure s Sixth Form College in East London. Every year we welcome a cohort of 10 of their students to our bespoke work experience and training programme. Getting Ahead scheme with Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership Getting Ahead is a programme of half and one-day conferences designed to introduce young people to the world of work. Run in conjunction with the Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, each conference is divided into workshops covering particular aspects of working life such as first impressions, employer expectations, team work, problem solving, applying for a job and interview skills. The conferences are held at various venues across Tower Hamlets and each one is usually attended by around to 15 year-olds. The students are divided into teams of 6 or 7 and each team has one or two volunteers to assist them with the day s activities. As well as guiding, supporting and motivating the teams as they work through the sessions, the volunteers add credibility to the day by providing real-life experience. Although challenging, the conferences are a great way to introduce young people to working life. Since 2008 our people have volunteered 152 times for the Getting Ahead programme, providing over 1000 hours of mentoring support and working with over 700 students. 7

11 Corporate Social Responsibility Kaplan Legal Advice Centre We are keen to provide opportunities for our lawyers to use their technical ability as part of our CSR programme and have forged a relationship with Kaplan Legal Advice Centre in Southwark to offer free legal advice to people in the local community. Our lawyers advise on a range of matters from employment, debt and mortgage repossessions to benefits disputes. Supporting charities Each year we ask the partners and staff to cast their vote for the firm s Charity of the Year. In 2011 and 2012 we supported MacMillan Cancer Support and raised 12,000 which was put towards funding palliative care nurses to work with cancer sufferers. This year the firm is supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital and funds raised will go towards kitting out wards at the hospital s new development. In support of our charity of the year we undertake various fund raising activities over the course of the year. Past activities have included cycling challenges, bake-offs, dress down days, fun runs, quiz nights and much more. For more information For further information about the firm s CSR activities please contact: Christopher Munday Partner d +44 (0) e cmunday@trowers.com Yetunde Dania completing the Birmingham half marathon. 8

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