Leading regional law firm Gardner Leader has raised £3000 during the last 12 months for its chosen charity of the year, Newbury Soup Kitchen.
Each July the Gardner Leader team vote for a charity to support over the course of a year. This year the Newbury Soup Kitchen proved the popular choice due to its local connection, as well as the important role it plays in providing support to the Newbury and West Berkshire community.
The Newbury Soup Kitchen is a voluntary organisation which provides help and support to homeless and rough sleeper in the region. The charity provides freshly cooked three-course meals every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from The Salvation Army Hall, Northcroft Lane and access to services such as health outreach nurses, eye health and eye tests, hair cutting, seasonal vaccinations and dental support.
Having supported 26,000 people in the West Berkshire area, Newbury Soup Kitchen is one of the independent homeless charities supporting the 271,000 homeless people currently in the UK.
Over the last 12 months the Gardner Leader team has hosted a variety of fundraising events, including a quiz night at Maidenhead Football Club, a bake sale and a Christmas raffle. The team also completed activities such as Great British Bake Off style bake-sale and a clothing exchange.
Meryl Praill, Founder and CEO at Newbury Soup Kitchen, said: “The team at Gardner Leader are engaged and invested in giving back to the local community by supporting our vital work. We provide outreach to the most vulnerable people in our area, catering to them physically, emotionally and socially. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the monies raised by the Gardner Leader team will help in improving futures and change lives across Newbury and the West Berkshire area.”
Joanna Hemsley, Head of Gardner Leader’s charity fundraising team added: “It’s important to us that the team have their say in how the firm supports the local area. We’re delighted to be fundraising for Newbury Soup Kitchen this year. As solicitors, our day job is all about supporting the local community and delivering peace of mind. Newbury Soup Kitchen had overwhelming support as the firm’s charity of choice. We hope the monies raised help their team to continue doing their important work.”
Gardner Leader has been at the heart the Thames Valley region for over 120 years. Its highly experienced team of legal professionals now exceeds more than 180 employees, working across 12 specialist teams each dedicated to providing specific services to businesses and to individuals. The firm has offices throughout the South-East, South-West and London, including Newbury, Thatcham, Maidenhead, Swindon, Windsor, London and Oxford, where it has a newly established specialist Commercial Law team.
