Thursfields Solicitors has announced the five local causes that will all be receiving its focused fundraising, awareness and volunteer support in the 2021-22 year.
After receiving more than 100 applications, staff at the leading Midlands law firm voted to select a new charity of the year for each of its five offices. They are:
• Birmingham Dogs Home, based in Solihull
• Father Hudson’s Care, a social care agency in Birmingham
• Friends of Alfie Johnson, a charity helping children with disabilities in Kidderminster
• Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, based in Stourbridge, and
• St Paul’s Hostel for the homeless, in Worcester.
The successful charities will be Thursfields’ chosen charities from 1 May to 30 April 2022.
Thursfields’ chairman Nick O’Hara said: “We’re committed to the communities that we live and work in and always take great pleasure in choosing and serving five different local charities every year.
“This is an even more important commitment in the next 12 months as the world emerges from COVID-19, because the fund-raising of so many charities has been hit by the pandemic.”
Mr O’Hara added: “Our team across Thursfields’ five offices are looking forward to raising as many funds as possible for each charity, providing volunteers to help on projects and raising awareness of the important role each charity plays within our communities.”
Fi Harrison, Head of Fundraising at Birmingham Dogs Home, said: “Thank you Thursfields for helping to get tails wagging here at BDH! We are delighted to have been chosen by Thursfields’ Solihull team as their charity of the year.
“It’s been a difficult period for our charity as we have continued to care for dogs that need us behind closed gates throughout lockdowns and we really appreciate this amazing support from our local business community.”
Ginny Cullen, Senior Fundraising Officer at Father Hudson’s Care, said: “We are delighted to be Thursfields’ new charity of the year for its Birmingham office.
“Thursfields’ staff will be working with Brushstrokes Community Project, Father Hudson’s largest and longest-established community project, which supports 3,000 people a year from in and around Birmingham.
“Brushstrokes’ clients have been amongst the hardest hit in this pandemic and so we are really pleased to have the support of Thursfields.”
Lynn Smith, a trustee of Friends of Alfie Johnson, said: “We are delighted that Thursfields’ Kidderminster office has chosen us as their charity partner.
“The pandemic has had a major impact on our ability to raise funds as all our major money-making events have had to be cancelled, and we look forward to working with Thursfields and being able to help many more young people.”
Pam Hodgetts, Corporate Partnerships Manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, says: “We are delighted that Thursfields’ Halesowen office has selected us and look forward to saving more lives across the Midlands, as a result of the new support from the local firm.”
Annamarie Balram, Fundraising Manager at St Paul’s Hostel, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as Thursfield’s charity in Worcester.
“2020 has been a year like no other! The financial impact on all charities has been very hard and St Paul’s is no exception. We are delighted to report, however, that St Paul’s has remained COVID-free throughout, testimony to the hard work of the team and to the residents themselves.
“We now look forward to working with Thursfields and continuing to make Worcester a place where homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.”