Law firm raises £4k for Smart Works Leeds

A team of 33 colleagues from law firm Gordons walked 20 miles across the Yorkshire countryside to raise more than £4,000 for its charity partner of the year, Smart Works Leeds.

The charity, which opened in Leeds in 2019, helps unemployed women in the city regain the confidence they need to succeed at interviews, return to employment and transform their lives.

The walk started and finished in Ben Rhydding, taking in Swinsty reservoir on the way. The firm has been supporting the charity with volunteering assistance, donations and fundraising, since April this year.

As part of the support it offers, Smart Works Leeds provides women with high-quality clothes for interviews and a wardrobe of clothing options for successful candidates to wear to work.

As well as supporting Smart Works Leeds, colleagues have been raising money for other charities. conveyancing manager, Clare Freear, and licensed conveyancer, Deborah Billingsley, joined Strata for a sky dive to support the housebuilder’s charity of the year, b:friend.

Corporate partner, Duncan Firman, and trainee solicitor, Ella Fitzpatrick, both ran the London Marathon to raise funds for Versus Arthritis and Chron’s & Colitis UK respectively.

Partner and member of the firm’s executive, Victoria Davey, commented: “All the charities we support either directly, as we do with Smart Works, or indirectly, via Strata or our own people’s fundraising initiatives, are very worthy causes.

“Our people have raised more than £175,000 over the past 10 years for the firm’s chosen charities. It’s important for us to help make a difference in the communities where we operate. We look forward to generating even more money for all the charities we partner with whilst also providing them with volunteering support.”

Over the past 10 years charities the firm has supported include Age UK Bradford District, homelessness charity Centrepoint Bradford, national children’s charity KidsOut, and The Friends of Alfie Martin.