Corporate social responsibility
Community programmes
The Firm engages in a range of community programmes including:
Nottinghamshire Cares
We are members of Nottinghamshire Cares, a BiTC initiative aimed at increasing the volunteering undertaken by local companies. We have representatives on the operations board of Care.
Championing Notts
We are members of Championing Notts, a corporate citizenship scheme in which Experience Nottinghamshire calls on leading companies and institutions to give backing to the marketing of Nottinghamshire.
" Championing Notts is progressive and exactly what we believe the region needs, and we are delighted to offer our support." Peter Smith, Chief Executive, Freeth Cartwright LLP
School partnerships
Djanogly City Academy
Trainee solicitors at Freeth Cartwright LLP have teamed up with Djanogly City Academy. They provide subject-specific support and careers guidance to students studying GCSE and A-Level Law as part of their innovative ‘Solicitors in Schools' scheme.
"Highly commended" by the Nottingham Business in the Community Awards 2009, the scheme involves all law classes (years 10, 11, 12 and 13). Each class sees 2 trainee solicitors every 6 weeks. A "real world" link to legal theory taught in class, the trainee solicitors offer practical examples of how the law applies, and try to facilitate understanding of legal concepts. They are regularly quizzed by students not only on their work, but also on how to succeed in the commercial world. The trainee solicitors hope to encourage more students to consider a professional career.
Freeth Cartwright LLP also mentors the law students. The firm's trainees and legal assistants are matched with students, and exchange emails regularly. The emails cover a whole range of topics, including careers advice, coursework queries, time management and revision skills, as well as general issues of concern.
Taylor Road Primary School, Leicester
Our Leicester office has been involved in Right to Read through LEBC and Leicestershire Cares for some four years. Freeth Cartwright volunteers are currently supporting Taylor Road Primary School in Leicester at their new multi-million pound school site. The volunteers spend around one hour per week listening to the children read. Taylor Road are extremely grateful to Freeth Cartwright's volunteers as a large percentage of students at Taylor Road do not speak English as a first language, and the children thoroughly enjoy the time spent with our volunteers.
Scotholme Primary School
Our Nottingham office has an ongoing Right to Read programme with Scotholme school. This is a national campaign that promotes literacy in primary schools, through recruiting volunteers to spend an hour a week reading with children. Volunteers from Freeth Cartwright are asked to listen to children read, talk to them about the reading materials and sometimes get involved in literacy games.
With Scotholme we identified a further way of supporting the school through a gardening project, a number of volunteers spent an afternoon at the School with the Children weeding, planting, laying bark chippings and generally helping to spruce up the gardens.
Pro Bono schemes
Legal Pro Bono
Our medico-legal team conducts a range of pro bono work for victims of medical accidents, and has undertaken substantial cases on this basis.
Nottingham Playhouse
The Firm is honorary legal advisor to Nottingham Playhouse and one of the partners acts as company secretary.
Southern Derbyshire Pro Help
We are founder and active members of this organisation, providing professional assistance to charitable and non profit-making bodies.
Waingroves Community Association - Advised a Derbyshire based charity on charitable trading and corresponding tax implications. The organisation provides educational and recreational support to local youth community and were looking to increase revenue though organised events and trade.
SNAP - Incorporated a non-profit organisation involved in regeneration work in South Normanton - Pinxton area and drafted an agreement to transfer all assets over to the newly incorporated body. More recently we have been assisting in their application to the Charity Commission for charitable status and are currently advising them on a proposed lease they wish to enter into.
Heathersage Allotments - Drafting Articles of Association for a group looking to establish allotments for two villages. Giving advice on the terms of the lease of the proposed site for the allotments. The allotments are to be used by the villagers for recreational and educational purposes.
Fishing for Heroes - Drafting a trust deed for a new charity and arranging its registration with the Charities Commission. The proposed charity will be raising funds for the provision of therapeutic fly fishing trips for military personnel suffering from combat stress and trauma.
Charity support
The Freeth Cartwright Charity of the Year for 2010/2011 is The Anthony Nolan Trust. For more information on this partnership click here.
We are committed to supporting a number of charities, for example:
Firm-wide activities in support of children in need are undertaken on an annual basis. We also organise other fund raising activities on a regular basis for example for Red Nose Day, MacMillan Cancer Care and Action Aid, and one-off events such as the provision of support to the Asian tsunami earthquake victims through the Disaster Emergency Committee.
The Alan Wheelhouse Cricketing Foundation
Click here for more information on the Alan Wheelhouse Cricketing Foundation
Children in Need
We raised over £2,000 for the 2009 Children in Need Appeal!
Framework
Two members of staff from Freeth Cartwright took part in Framework's Annual Big Sleep Out event. They slept outside on a cold December night, the temperature got as cold as minus 2!
Poppy Appeal
The Leicester office staff came together to raise money for this year's Poppy Appeal for The Royal British Legion. All volunteers kindly contributed their lunch hours selling poppies at the Leicester Railway Station between Monday 26 October - Friday 6 November 2009.
It was a great sense of achievement for such a valued cause and over the two weeks we raised £449.85. Thanks again to Rita Patel, Sally Stephens, Jade McCall, Teresa Bourke, Robert Rowley, Chris Kowalewski, Farheen Ahmad, Rachel Kent, Kay Greig, Jo Lindsey, Annalisa Fraser-Cattanach and Hasmita Parmar for donating their time and support.
Environment
We are constantly improving our environmental performance and reducing the impact that our activities and services have on the environment.
To ensure compliance with current legislation and to set an example of good practice to the wider community, we have introduced a procedure for all waste to be disposed of appropriately. We recycle a wide range of waste including paper, glass, cans, batteries, IT equipment, plastic cups, cardboard, mobile phones, printer and toner cartridges. We also use recycled products where possible.
The firm's Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator is Carole Wigley.