At the end of March, before we completed a historic merger with Rollits LLP we asked each of our four regional offices to commemorate Wilkin Chapman’s 125th anniversary in a way that goes beyond balloons and kind words.
We are incredibly proud to announce that, through the combined efforts of individual staff members from our Grimsby, Lincoln, Louth, and Beverley offices and a contribution from the firm, we have raised £12,500 for local hospice charities that support our communities.
From the earliest iteration of Wilkin Chapman, when James Whiteley Wilkin and Ernest Benjamin Chapman opened their first office on Victoria Street in Grimsby in 1900, we’ve set a precedent of not just operating within our communities, but actively being part of them, and giving back to them through targeted advice, support and fundraising where we can.
Our 125th anniversary was no exception. Read on to explore how each of our offices met our challenge to cover 125 miles for 125 years of undisputed excellence.
Our Grimsby office chose to support a vital pillar of the local community: St Andrew’s Hospice, which supports individuals of any age affected by life-limiting conditions, or those coming to the end of their life. With three distinct routes, the team hit the pavements on Friday 21st March.
Jenna Emsley Fairbrass, senior associate in the recoveries team at our Grimsby office, said: “As the firm’s largest office, we definitely felt the pressure to deliver a plentiful sum for this important local cause. As well as baking, we all ran or walked one of three routes of varying length, took selfies and awarded prizes for the silliest among them! I’d like to offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped us secure much-needed funding for this local lifeline.”
The Lincoln office exceeded our initial target by walking a grand total of 270 miles! With three separate routes organised throughout the historic cathedral city, colleagues had the opportunity to travel across the Wilkin Chapman history route, which revisited some of our past offices including at the city’s iconic Glory Hole, and a St Barnabas route which gave colleagues the opportunity to visit charity shops for the hospice around the city and engage with staff. Finally, there was the Lincoln Heritage route, which centred around timeless landmarks from around the city, such as Lincoln Castle, Cathedral and the Cathedral Quarter.
Lucy Reding, Partner in the family law team at our Lincoln office, said: “From our walking routes, bake sale, and even having off-work colleagues exercising while at the airport for us, I’m so incredibly proud of everyone at our Lincoln location coming together to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice. There was never any doubt in our minds that St Barnabas would be our community cause for this challenge - it’s not a charity that only helps a small segment of society, it’s somewhere which provides vital support for everyone in our community in hugely meaningful ways.”
Our Louth office organised various walking or running routes through the beloved market town, along with an exercise bike for additional exercise and a dedicated bake sale.
Sarah Beard, office manager in Louth, said: “As one of the smaller offices, we certainly had our work cut out for us! I’m delighted that our growing team joined together to take part. We established two running routes, including the beautiful riverside Hubbard’s Hills, and had an electric bike in the conference room to rack up extra miles. Do you remember the iconic 118 men from the advert? We went a step further and had two willing volunteers dressed up as the 125 men in honour of this historic occasion!”
Our Beverley office chose to uplift and support their local hospice for their pre-merger anniversary celebrations, raising money for Dove House Hospice.
Alexandra Tock, trainee solicitor formerly based at our Beverley office, said: “Our Beverley office’s 125th anniversary celebrations were certainly well received! We organised three separate routes for different abilities, from 1.3 miles up to 7.7 miles. It was a wonderful way to usher in a new era while paying homage to how far (quite literally on the day!) we’ve come as a firm.”
Alexandra recently went over to have a full tour of the hospice’s facilities and met with Johnny Bottomley from Dove House Hospice to present our cheque.
Having matched our staff contributions to round up to a total of £12,500, we’re thankful to each and every member of staff who met the challenge head-on and came together for such a worthwhile cause. Thank you for your unwavering commitment - and here’s to the next stage of our historic growth.
