Solicitors don Santa hats to stride out this festive season, raising vital funds for our nation's veterans.

STRIDING out in Santa hats, teams from the region’s largest law firm will be taking part in sponsored walks from their Humber-based offices to raise money for a leading veterans’ charity.

Lawyers, their colleagues, friends, relatives and supporters at Wilkin Chapman solicitors’ offices at Cartergate, Grimsby and at The Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, will be stepping out on Wednesday December 11 for their two walks.

By doing so, the aim is to raise at least £675 from each office for Walking With The Wounded’s ‘Walking Home For Christmas’ initiative. The national charity has this year launched the fund-raiser and wants as many people as possible to take part in walks to raise money for the wellbeing and support of veterans.

The two amounts of £675 will pay for two seven intensive one-to-one mental health care sessions for a veteran. Wilkin Chapman is organising similar events at its other regional offices with a target to raise £4,725, to fund a total of seven programmes:

• In Grimsby the walk will start at 4.30pm on Wednesday December 11, a 6.6-mile route taking in Cleethorpes Pier before heading back to Grimsby and Docks Beer – for a few festive refreshments;
• In Beverley, the team will take a 2.5-mile route around the town, aiming to complete as many laps of the town as possible in a two-hour window, before returning to their offices, hoping to complete a collective total of 101 miles in order to commemorate the end of the First World War.

In Grimsby Senior solicitor in the field of military personal injury, Louisa Donaghy, is leading the stride-out. 

She said: “This is a really great opportunity for us all to get some pre-festive exercise while raising money for such a good cause. For all of us who will be looking forward to a festive season with family and friends, it is important to remember that there are others out there who continue to need our help and we know some of those individuals will be military veterans.”

The fund-raiser comes as the firm was awarded an Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award for its commitment to serving the country’s serving personnel and veterans. Senior solicitor Gordon Holt and colleague Lucy Reding collected the award during a presentation in Leicester, which was organised by the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Both the Grimsby walk, and the Covenant award have been warmly welcomed by North East Lincolnshire’s Armed Forces Champion Alex Baxter, whose voluntary team based at The Knoll in Cleethorpes is responsible for the Armed Forces Weekend.

Alex praised organisations that assist veterans who are both injured and need support or are work-ready and need opportunity – something that the Covenant award recognises.

“There is a need to continue raising awareness of our veterans. They may be injured and require support, or it may be that they need help to recognise the vast number of transferable skills they have and how they can be deployed in civilian society and perform extremely well,” said Alex.

Meanwhile in Beverley the walk is being co-ordinated by Partner and Head of the firm’s Military Sector James Marsden.

He said: “Wilkin Chapman has been representing members of the armed forces community for many decades, acting for serving personnel, veterans, reservists and their families, in all spheres of military law. The firm has also benefitted enormously from employing members of the armed forces community and the invaluable experience that they are able to bring.

“Receiving an Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award is obviously a huge honour for the firm but, in reality, what we are able to give back to the armed forces community is only a small token of appreciation for the sacrifices that are made by the members of our armed forces, past and present, and their families,” he added.

Supporters can sign up for the walks and learn more about Walking With The Wounded and Walking Home For Christmas at
http://www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com/teams/wilkin-chapman-grimsby
http://www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com/teams/wilkin-chapman-beverley