Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce that Single Homeless Project (SHP) will be the firm's 2016-18 major charity partner.
Established in 1975, SHP is a London-based charity that works to prevent homelessness and help vulnerable and socially excluded people to transform their lives. They do this by providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity, and being a voice for change. From supporting people in crisis to helping them take the final steps towards independence and employment, SHP makes a difference to more than 7,000 lives every year.
Over the coming weeks Travers Smith will work with SHP to develop a programme of opportunities for all staff and partners at the firm, which will include mentoring, running life skills workshops and volunteering with SHP frontline services.
The firm will also be providing pro bono legal advice as well as business services support to SHP on a number of matters.
The financial support provided by Travers Smith will be used in part to fund a new post within SHP dedicated to helping the charity's clients take the final step towards independent living. Funding the post will help the charity to support up to 80 more people every year to gain lasting independence.
Travers Smith CSR partner Daniel Gerring said: “We are delighted to be working with Single Homeless Project for the next two years, following our successful partnership with Mind. We have already worked with SHP to identify a number of opportunities for our staff to get involved with their work and will continue to develop fundraising and volunteering opportunities as the partnership progresses."
SHP works with individuals to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness, such as poor mental health, family breakdown or drug and alcohol dependency. 70 per cent of their clients live in the surrounding boroughs of Travers Smith's Snow Hill office in central London.
Liz Rutherfoord, SHP Chief Executive, said: “We’re thrilled that Travers Smith is supporting our work through a new corporate partnership. The money staff and partners raise will make a real and lasting difference to the lives of vulnerable Londoners, supporting people who are in recovery to take the crucial final step into independent living,”
Over the last two years Travers Smith has been supporting the mental health charity Mind, raising over £80,000 through employee fundraising activities and donations from partners. Support from the Travers Smith team means that Mind has been able to answer over 7,800 enquiries through its national Infoline and Legal line. Mind shops across London have also benefited from receiving many clothing donations from staff across the firm.
Travers Smith's charity work is an important part of its broader CSR Programme, which supports schools and young people, as well as improving access to justice by broadening the range of people who can access free legal advice.