Contributors
The Bristol office of law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) is joining the COVID-19 emergency response and has pledged thousands of pounds to support a number of charities across the city.
The firm made monetary donations to Bristol East Foodbank, St Peter's Hospice, Quartet Community Foundation's Coronavirus Response Fund, Arms Around Bristol, and Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Service (SARSAS), the firm's chosen office charity.
The firm has longstanding relationships with all four charities having previously raised £80,000 for St Peter's Hospice, Bristol's only adult hospice, and donated over 200kgs of food and drinks to East Bristol Foodbank as part of a firm wide appeal that saw around one tonne of food and drinks delivered to UK foodbanks during the 2019 summer school holidays. The firm is also involved in Quartet Community Foundation, an independent charity that supports organisations working to improve local communities.
Last year, the firm announced its new chosen office charity, SARSAS, a specialist support service for people who have experienced any form of sexual violence, at any point in their lives. The firm's latest donation comes at a time when there has been a huge surge in domestic abuse calls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jonathan Bower, partner and head of responsible business in WBD's Bristol office, commented:
"Developing and nurturing long-lasting relationships with our charity partners is core to our responsible business philosophy which enables us to create transformational social impact. At this time of national crisis, it was important for us to step up and support our charity partners who are all doing a phenomenal job in the COVID-19 response."
Sue Turner, Chief Executive at Quartet Community Foundation, added:
"We're extremely grateful for WBD's support at these very difficult and challenging times. The firm's donation will help communities in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire support the most vulnerable during and after the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to organisations like WBD, we have already been able to award over £470,000 in grants to over 90 projects in the first month of the outbreak."
The donations in Bristol are part of a firm wide COVID-19 emergency response fund set up by WBD to support the organisations that need it the most across the UK. WBD is heavily involved in a comprehensive responsible business programme, supporting a number of charities across its eight UK offices. Last year the firm won the Contribution to the Community Award at the Bristol Live & Bristol Post Business Awards as well as the Business in the Community Award at the Business Leader Awards.
