After 18 months of curtailing its charity events due to the pandemic, Thames Valley solicitors, Gardner Leader, is picking up the pace once again on its fundraising activity, starting with Jo Dainty, conveyancing assistant, raising £1,000 for Thames Valley Air Ambulance after running the London Marathon.
Nearly half of the firm’s 160 staff voted for the local Thames Valley Air Ambulance to be the firm’s 2021/2022 charity of the year, nominated by Sue Perry, assistant in the inheritance protection team, in tribute of her husband, Geoff, who died of Covid last year.
“Thames Valley Air Ambulance was a charity regularly supported by my husband and me and, when he sadly lost his life to coronavirus, I decided to ask for donations from family and friends, in lieu of floral tributes, to support this worthy cause in his memory. This is definitely something he would have wanted.
“I know about the invaluable work they do, and I know that they survive solely on donations, so I’m delighted to be able to help raise much-needed funds along with my work colleagues.”
Samantha Collier, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: “The team at Gardner Leader are truly engaged and invested in the impact they can make to the community by supporting our vital work. We are delighted to partner with them. Our paramedics and doctors bring hospital-level care to the patient when they need it most and fight to give them the best chance of survival and recovery. It is no exaggeration to say that the fundraising Gardner Leader completes will help us save lives across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.”
Other events planned by the Gardner Leader charity fundraising team include a sponsored bike ride, charity raffle, firm quiz, Lego building competition, silent auction and a cake competition inspired by ‘The Great British Bake Off’. The firm, which has offices throughout the Thames Valley, London and Swindon, also plans to increase its ‘in person’ fundraising over the next 12 months.
Joanna Hemsley, Head of Gardner Leader’s charity fundraising team, added: “We’re excited to be supporting Thames Valley Air Ambulance locally, and especially as it encompasses the locality of all our office locations across the Thames Valley, giving employees the chance to get involved in fundraising events local to them, as and when they occur.
“It’s such an essential service serving a regional community of over two million people and one that means a lot to our employees, having had overwhelming support as the firm’s charity of choice.”
