SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IMPACT REPORT 2021 / 2022
Community
Community
Giving back to the community in which we operate is central to our Sustainable Business Programme. We continuously strive to do this in a number of ways: through our partnerships with charities, our volunteering activities, our support of educational institutions and the arts and through the provision of pro bono legal services to those who need it most.
Charity Fundraising and Partners
A combination of Government restrictions due to the pandemic and the introduction of hybrid working at our firm has resulted in a noticeable shift in fundraising behaviour in the past 12 months. The number of fundraising activities organised increased slightly this year when compared to last year. Hybrid working appears to have had an impact on the success of fundraising as monies raised for events comparable to previous years saw a drop in amounts raised ranging from 10% to 44%. The aggregate figure was down circa 25% relative to the prior year. It would appear that this is down to the lack of a face to face element in the fundraising and potentially due to the more convoluted steps required to make donations. We are already looking at ways to make sure it is as simple and easy to donate as possible where virtual campaigns are run next year. In May we hosted our first hybrid fundraiser which coincided with the return of more people into our office. This hybrid fundraiser provided staff with an opportunity to make either physical cash donations if in the office, or via QR scanning codes, to facilitate the current new minimal cash environment. In addition to online donation options, physical pop up stands with treats and traditional collection boxes were positioned throughout our office on the day. The result was a significant increase in the total amount raised by the campaign – almost three times the amount raised by the same activity last year which was online fundraising only. We will continue to monitor the amounts raised by our charity fundraising campaigns to see if further steps can be taken to restore the amounts raised.
Over the past 12 months we have been pleased to continue our three year partnerships with:
Our partnerships are as a result of a staff survey in 2019 when these three charities received the most votes. The partnerships remain in place until the end of 2022. As part of our partnership offering to our three charity partners, we continue to provide not only financial support, but also pro bono legal advice, training and networking opportunities throughout the year. We are proud to work with these three charities and to support the incredible work that they do. Here are just some of the highlights from our partnerships over the past 12 months:
THE CALCUTTA RUN 2021/22
In addition to our three charity partnerships we have also been very active participants in the Law Society’s Calcutta Run virtual initiative in September 2021 and the reintroduction of the in-person run, golf and tag rugby events organised in May 2022 to raise much needed funds for The Peter McVerry Trust and The Hope Foundation, the two beneficiary charities of this event each year.
UKRAINE AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
There have been dramatic changes in the global community in the first half of 2022. As with many workplaces we have Ukrainian colleagues. These colleagues have led a number of responses to the situation unfolding in Ukraine and the impact it has had on the global community and Ukrainians in particular. We have advised our people on ways that they can assist both practically and financially over the last few months. The firm’s direct contributions have been:
- a substantial financial donation to the Irish Red Cross to help with relief efforts;
- engagement [through our Lex Mundi and other legal networks] to provide secondments for junior Ukrainian lawyers who are unable to work in their home country.
The firm also recognises that some of our people have engaged in independent efforts and congratulate them on their efforts, particularly the Play in Peace Initiative, organised for Ukrainian mothers and their children.