CSR

December, 2025

To keep the Christmas celebrations going at Palmers this year, we were happy to sponsor the Best Dressed Window competition for retailers on Rayleigh High Street. It is always a highlight for our team to see the effort and creativity local businesses put into their festive window displays. Today, we visited each of the winners chosen by Rayleigh Town Council to present their certificates and hamper prizes, packed with festive treats. We loved meeting the businesses involved and look forward to seeing what they come up with for Christmas next year.

December 19th, 2025

This year, all six of our offices got into the Christmas spirit for Christmas Anything Day. Staff donated a small amount to swap their usual workwear for festive outfits, with everything from Christmas jumpers and novelty ties to sparkly earrings on show. The admin team at the Basildon office went one step further by dressing up as a full Christmas dinner, complete with a turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing and all the trimmings. The day raised £200 for the Polly Parrot Appeal at Basildon Hospital. A big thank you to everyone who joined in, donated and helped make the day such a success.

December 9th 2025

Debbie Bransgrove, Jennifer Strickland and Kimberley Portas-Bailey visited Treetops School this week to present certificates and prizes to the winners of our annual Christmas card competition. The children put so much imagination and care into their designs that choosing the winners was extremely difficult. Congratulations to Jo, Bonnie, Lillie and Olivia, who were this year's prize winners. We are proud to continue supporting Treetops and celebrating the creativity of its pupils. The winning designs will feature in our seasonal communications to colleagues and clients this Christmas.

November 27th 2025

We were proud to support the Rayleigh Christmas Lights Switch On again this year on 27 November. Members of our team attended the festive event and worked together to raise funds for our chosen charities, the Polly Parrot Children’s Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum. It was a wonderful community occasion to kick the Christmas season off and we are delighted to have raised a total of £109 in support of such an important cause.

October 2025

The team really embraced the Halloween spirit this year. Every desk had a bag filled with treats and a trick waiting for staff when they arrived at their office. Erin Cronin shared that James Foley-Bronze and Jessica Beackon successfully took on their trick by singing. Staff across all six of our offices joined in the fun, enjoying the spooky backdrops, props and decorations, taking plenty of pictures to capture the day. We’ll see if we can top the celebrations next year.

June 2025

Palmers were pleased to support a recent Careers Day at a Canvey Island school. Layna Thompson, Venessa Appiah-Nuamah, and Lauren Nobel delivered an engaging session to Year 6 pupils, with support from Kim Portas-Bailey, who prepared all the resources. The Headteacher praised our efforts, and the event has already led to a client enquiry and a request for a potential summer placement — a great result from a fantastic day.

June 8th

We were proud to support the Rayleigh Trinity Fair once again this year. In the lead-up to the event, we ran a Colouring Competition in partnership with most of Rayleigh’s primary schools, with three talented winners selected to receive a prize. Two of the winners were presented with their prizes at the fair itself, while the third received hers the following day during a special school visit. Our team were able to raise £213.40 for our chosen charities, The Polly Parrot Appeal and the Rayleigh Town Museum.

March 2025

We are proud to share a recent donation to the Polly Parrot Appeal! As part of our continued support of this local charity, our team have donated over £850 to this incredible cause. This donation was made as a result of our client feedback forms – thank you to everyone who filled them out!

March 2025

Palmers Solicitors are excited to be sponsoring the South Woodham Ferrers Rotary Swimarathon. This year's event will take place from 21st to 23rd March 2025 at South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre. We hope to see as many of you getting involved in the action as possible, whether by signing up as a team or donating to the cause. All money raised will be distributed to two worthy causes – Cancer Research UK and Open Road.

December 2024

Palmers Solicitors is pleased to announce the winners of its festive ‘Guess the Name’ competition, raising £93 in support of the Polly Parrot Appeal. All members of staff, and our clients, were invited to join us in naming four Christmas-themed teddy bears in aid of the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital Trust. We can now announce that the winners were Karis Mowbray from our Basildon office, Wendy Savill from our South Woodham Ferrers office and finally Mrs Wisby, one of our clients at our office in Rayleigh.

December 23rd

We have raised another £198.25 for the Polly Parrot Appeal at our Christmas anything day and raffle. Our team across the five offices went all out with their festive outfits, from classic Christmas Jumpers to full-on costumes. This year, our very happy winner of the ‘Best Dressed’ title is Gina Newman for her incredible Rudolf costume.

December 17th

We were delighted to sponsor the Best Dressed Window competition for retailers on Rayleigh High Street, organised and judged by Rayleigh Town Council. This year, many local businesses went above and beyond to create stunning festive window displays, giving the judges a tough task in selecting their favourites. On 17 December, Adam Davis, a Director at Palmers Solicitors, joined members of the Rayleigh Town Council to present trophies, certificates, and hampers filled with Christmas treats to the deserving winners.

December 16th

This Christmas, Kimberley, Ricky, and Gina dressed up as Elf, Santa, and Rudolph and made their way to each of Palmer’s offices, delivering massive hampers filled with festive treats. It was our way of saying thank you to all of our dedicated team for the hard work they have put in throughout 2024.

December 16th

The Christmas spirit certainly came to Rayleigh when our annual carol concert saw a fantastic turnout, with 140 guests and brilliant performances from our brand-new choir, Cantare, and the Thundersley Brass Band, accompanied by Lucy Bailey’s amazing vocals. We raised £481.84 for the Polly Parrot Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum.

December 13th

We are proud to have supported the Chocolate Gift Box Selection Appeal! This appeal ran by Essex Business Partnerships saw us providing donations to the Endeavor Academy and Lennox Children's Cancer Fund to support young people this Christmas. It was fantastic to be involved in such an amazing cause!

December 11th

This Christmas, Palmers Solicitors invited students from Treetops School in Grays to showcase their creativity in a festive Christmas card competition for the firm. The entries were so impressive that selecting the winners proved to be a real challenge. We’re proud to support and celebrate the creative talents of our local community and it was a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

November 13th

For World Kindness Day, we treated all our staff members to a bag of goodies, including some tasty sweet treats, to spread some positivity and show how even small acts of kindness can go a long way in making someone’s day.

September 27th

Palmers were privileged to sponsor an award at the 1476 Squadron RAF Cadets presentation evening held on Friday at the spectacular Vulcan Restoration Trust! Erin Cronin and Helen Jago represented and and presented the award to a very deserving winner! They were truly inspired by seeing so many young people reaching their full potential. Well done to Toby Aitken who won the award for the Most Improved Cadet in light of his outstanding achievements this year.

August 6th

Our support of the Essex Wildlife Trust continues! We are proud to have renewed our role as Investors in Wildlife for another year, helping to support their goal of a #WilderEssex.Essex Wildlife Trust makes a huge difference to our local environment and we are delighted to continue supporting their fantastic work!

June 22nd

Our intrepid team of runners were proud to get stuck in and ‘run wild’ for our longstanding charity partner, the Essex Wildlife Trust, taking on the Running Wild event at the famous Nuclear Races site! Our fundraisers faced a 5K race like no other, tackling water, mud and obstacles to support the region’s local wildlife and those who work to preserve it – efforts which we have supported for almost 30 years. Our challengers included Leigh Seber-Shelley, Secretary, Karis Mowbray, Legal Secretary, Jennifer Strickland, Document Clerk, and Rebecca Johnson, Legal Secretary.

May 17th

Palmers Solicitors were proud to support Dementia Action Week by running a fantastic prize draw in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. We are delighted to announce that we raised an incredible £2,155 including Gift Aid! This money will go a long way in helping to make a difference in the lives of so many people living with dementia

March 27th

We undertook MHFA England®’s training as part of our ongoing commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of our staff. Our aim is to ensure that every member of our team feels safe and supported in the workplace.

March 25th

We are proud to have sponsored the Rochford Hundred Rugby Club’s Mini’s 2024 Festival Tour! The event took place over the weekend, and we were delighted to be involved once again in our local community!

March 8th

We attended the Changing Pathways International Women’s Day Afternoon Tea! The event was held at Ye Old Plough House in Brentwood and raised an amazing amount of money for charity. Our amazing team members Sarah Dowie, Ivana Sidey, Erin Duffy, Laura Stock, and Farah Mahfooz attended to represent Palmers, donating a bottle of Moet Chandon, an Echo Dot, and a box of toiletries for the raffle!

March 6th

We have been named ‘SME of the Year’ at the Rochford District Business Awards! As proud members of our community, we are proud to have achieved such a prestigious award.

September 2023

During World Alzheimer’s Month, we challenged ourselves to collectively walk 60 miles to raise money for Alzheimer's Society…We’re pleased to announce that we smashed our goal and walked over 164 miles for this incredible charity! Despite World Alzheimer’s Month being over, the fight to raise awareness and challenge the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease never ends.

October 6th

We were privileged to sponsor an award at the 1476 (Rayleigh) Squadron RAF Cadet mess night! Celebrating and honouring Amelia, the deserving winner of the Most Improved Cadet of the Year Award, presented by Erin and Helen. It was an inspiring evening where we witnessed the dedication of these young cadets and their leaders.

November 30th

We attended the Rayleigh Christmas light switch-on! In aid of the Polly Parrot Childrens Appeal - Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals Charity Parrot Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum, we collected donations of £120.70.

December 15th

Continuing the seasonal spirit, we raised £289.22 for the Polly Parrot Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum with our Christmas Anything Day and raffle. Getting inspired, the team sported a range of Christmas jumpers, hair accessories, jewellery and pyjamas – even a few festive Grinches embraced the season with some creative costumes.

December 14th

The Christmas spirit certainly came to Rayleigh on 14 December, when our annual carol concert saw a fantastic turnout, with 130 guests and a special appearance from our charity partner, Polly Parrot. With performances from Lucy Bailey and the Aveley & Newham Brass Band – alongside plenty of seasonal refreshments – we raised £325 for the Polly Parrot Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum.

November 3rd

Reflecting our long-standing support for the Essex Wildlife Trust, we celebrated our 40th anniversary in line with our environmental pledge and going even greener. Our team came together on 3 November 2023 at Langdon Nature Discovery Park to plant 40 trees to reaffirm our commitment to environmental working practices and the local community.

September 10th

Colin Adamson, will be taking part in the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s Motorcycle Run on 10th September. Essex & Herts Air Ambulance are a life-saving Charity kept airborne thanks to generous donations alone. We would welcome any donations here.

April 2023

We were delighted to hand over a cheque for £867.35 to Basildon Hospital in support of our official charity, the Polly Parrot Appeal, which raises additional funds for the children’s wards and baby unit. The money was donated by Palmers for each completed client feedback questionnaire we received.

24 February

On behalf of Palmers, Gemma Bell and Kimberley Portas, visited Basildon Hospital to handed over a cheque for £1,392.63, to help support the fantastic work of the Polly Parrot charity. The money was raised through various initiatives including the staff ‘Christmas Anything’ Day in December, a number of generous client donations and money donated by the firm for each client satisfaction questionnaire completed.

20 May

On Saturday, 20th May 2023, a team from Palmers Solicitors will be taking part in the World Cup-on-Sea, a 32 team, 7-a-side football tournament being played on Southend United's home pitch at the iconic Roots Hall Stadium. The event will raise much needed funds for HARP. We would welcome any donations here.

20 December

We were pleased to sponsor the prizes for the best festive window displays in Rayleigh with hampers for the deserving winners. Congratulations to: - Lovely Libby’s in the Commercial category - The Spread Eagle in the Public House category - St Luke's in the Charity category

7 December

Once again, we teamed up with Rayleigh Primary School, to sponsor their annual poetry competition. Aspiring poets from years one to six were invited to pen Christmas-themed verses, with prizes on offer for the top three in each of years one and two, three and four, and five and six. Congratulations to all the winning poets!

1 December

Here at Palmers, we are proud to support the Essex Wildlife Trust, a charity we have backed for the last 27 years. This month, we have appeared in their Winter 2022 magazine, discussing our commitment to the environment. Read now

24 November

We were delighted to sponsor the Christmas Lights Switch On Event in Rayleigh with the local community enjoying a range of stall food and more! There will be stalls, food, and much more!

17 November

The worthy winners of our annual Christmas card competition, which we have held with Treetops School for many years, are: This year's winners include: 1st: Devon Hart 2nd: Makenzie English 3rd: Charlie Pitt 4th: Hameerah Amzah

19 December

Our annual Christmas Anything Day was well supported by our staff who each paid £2 to wear Christmas attire. We also held a festive raffle across our four offices and raised a total of £216.80 in aid of our official charity, the Polly Parrot Appeal, which supports the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals.

8 December

Our annual carol concert at Holy Trinity Church, Rayleigh raised nearly £300 for our two official charities - the Polly Parrot Appeal for the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals, and Rayleigh Town Museum. The concert included performances of classic Christmas hits from local singer, Lucy Bailey, and readings from children at Rayleigh Primary School who were the winners of our annual poetry competition.

12 July

Congratulations to all the winners of the Thurrock Education Awards 2022 and in particular to Stuart Holmes from Abbots Hall Primary Academy who was the deserving recipient of the ‘Mental Health and Well-being Champion’ award, sponsored by Palmers Solicitors.

12 June

We were delighted to be involved in this year’s Rayleigh Trinity Fair – an annual community event, featuring live music, a vintage market and entertainment for all the family. The team from Palmers hosted a charity stall and raised a total of  £137.20, which has been split between our official charity, The Polly Parrot Appeal and Rayleigh Town Museum.

28 June

On Tuesday 28th June 2022 a Palmers Solicitors team will be taking part in the 10K London Legal Walk, raising money for The London Legal Support Trust – an independent charity that raises funds for free legal services in London and the South East. You can support us by donating here.

8 May

We were delighted to sponsor the ‘Bill Hughes Memorial’ Rayleigh 10k cross country run, on Sunday 8 May. Joining hundreds of other runners were Palmers colleagues Lee McClellan, Samantha Randall, and Rachel Harrison. They were ably supported by our colleagues Adam Davis and Helen Jago, who assisted with registration, cheered on runners as they crossed the finish line and handed out medals. To all who took part and raised money for the local Rotary Club’s charities – a huge well done!

21 April

Director Adam Davis, who heads Palmers Solicitors’ Rayleigh office, was surprised and delighted to be honoured by the local council when he was awarded a Special Certificate in recognition of the support he gives to the town in organising events and local competitions for the community. Our firm sponsors the town’s Christmas lights and Adam is a working member of Rayleigh Trinity Fair.

28 February

We were delighted to again sponsor an award at the Rayleigh Air Cadets Mess Night. Congratulations to Corporal George Squirrell who was presented with the Palmers Solicitors Prize for Achievement.

17 December

The festive spirit was in evidence at our four offices when our staff were asked to wear ‘anything festive’ in aid of our official charity, the Polly Parrot appeal. In addition to traditional Christmas jumpers, our colleagues donned Christmas headgear including reindeer antlers and even onesies! In total, we raised £294 for this worthy local cause.

20 December

We once again teamed up with the three schools in the South Essex Alliance Multi-Academy Trust – Rayleigh Primary School, North Crescent Primary School and Wyburns Primary School. Aspiring poets from years one to six at each school were invited to pen Christmas-themed verses, with prizes on offer for the top three in each of years one and two, three and four, and five and six at each school. In total, we rewarded the efforts of 27 children.

22 December

We invited youngsters from Treetops School, in Grays, to design Christmas cards for our firm. We were overwhelmed with the high standard of entries with first prize awarded to AJ in Zog class.

18 October 2021

On Monday 18th October 2021 a Palmers Solicitors team will be taking part in the 10K London Legal Walk, raising money for The London Legal Support Trust – an independent charity that raises funds for free legal services in London and the South East. You can support us by donating here .

11 December 2020

All four Palmers Solicitors offices participated in Christmas Anything Day where we wore any type of Christmas attire and held a raffle in aid of Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal. We are delighted to have raised over £300!

23 October 2020

We are proud to continue our corporate sponsorship of Essex Wildlife Trust - the county’s leading conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature. Particularly during these difficult times, access to outdoor exercise and open spaces are important for us all and the Trust’s nature reserves and discovery parks across the county continue to provide a peaceful retreat and an opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment of the great outdoors.

28 February

We were delighted to provide the prize for the Cadets Award at the 1476 (Rayleigh) Air Cadets Squadron Dinner.

30 January 2020

We are delighted to have raised £170 for Macmillan Cancer Support at our Property and Construction Seminar.

December 2019

We were delighted to sponsor the Rayleigh Best Festive Display the year, in association with Rayleigh Town Council.

28 November 2019

We had a fantastic time at the Rayleigh Christmas lights switch-on, and were pleased to be sponsors, whilst raising money for the Polly Parrot Appeal too.

5 April 2020

We are proud to be sponsoring the Rayleigh Rotary 10k run again this year. All profits raised will go to rotary supported charities.

13 December

The Palmers Solicitors team fully embraced our ‘Christmas Anything Day’ in aid of Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal! All four offices took part raising an incredible £392.30.

12 December

We hosted our annual Christmas Carol Concert in aid of the Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal & Rayleigh Town Museum, raising a wonderful £432.

December 10

We are pleased to have been able to once again hold our Christmas card competition with Treetops School in Grays. Director, Lee McClellan, presented the children with their prizes, and all of the winners featured in our Christmas e-card.

Supporting the Thurrock Education Awards

We are proud to sponsor the “Teaching and school support of the year” award in the 2019 Thurrock Education Awards, celebrating excellence in the borough’s schools.

Supporting Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

We held a coffee and cakes event to in aid of Alzheimer’s Society, to promote Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and to improve awareness of conditions affecting the brain.

Celebrating equality and diversity at Basildon Pride

We had a stall at Basildon Pride, with a line-up of artists and entertainers for the community.

Backing Rayleigh High Street

We had a stall at the Rayleigh Trinity Fair once again, with a range of activities on offer for people young and old.

Supporting Dementia Awareness Week

We held a coffee morning to promote Dementia Awareness Week and to improve awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s. We also had a stall at Rayleigh Market on 22 May.

Giving for Thurrock

We raised more than £500 towards Giving for Thurrock Day with a range of activities.

Promoting integrity

We sponsored and presented the Palmers Solicitors Prize for Integrity.

Recognition for our staff wellbeing initiatives

We were shortlisted in the Wellbeing category of the prestigious LexisNexis Legal Awards 2019 in recognition of the range of initiatives we undertake to promote the wellbeing of our staff.

Supporting Rayleigh’s High Street

We sponsored Rayleigh Town Council’s Best Dressed Window competition for the second year running, presenting awards to our neighbours at the British Hear Foundation, Roman Kitchens and the Spread Eagle.

Christmas Carol Concert

We raised hundreds of pounds for two local charities with a collection at our Christmas carol concert in 2018. We invited clients and contacts to the service at Holy Trinity Church in Rayleigh on Tuesday 11 December 2018. A collection at the concert raised a total of £631.23, which was split between the Polly Parrot Appeal for children’s services at Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals and the Rayleigh Town Museum.  

Give a Gift

We raised more than £2,000 to help ‘Give a Gift’ to children in care at Christmas 2018. The funds raised were used to buy stars from Thurrock Council’s Christmas tree located at Intu Lakeside shopping centre. Each star cost £15 and represented a child in care. We raised enough money for 143 stars, each of which helped ensure a child received a present at Christmas 2018.

Inflatable 5k run

Three members of our team raised hundreds of pounds for charity at an inflatable 5k run. Associate Executive, Nicola Tubbs and Legal Secretaries, Caroline Dovey and Victoria Levitt all took part in the event to raise money for the Polly Parrot Appeal, which supports the work of the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals.

Rayleigh Trinity Fair

Our Rayleigh office helped the local community enjoy all the fun of the fair in June. Palmers Solicitors was the lead sponsor of the historic Rayleigh Trinity Fair, which can trace its origins back to 1227, and our popular stall featured plenty of competitions and activities.

Dementia Awareness Week

Staff at our offices in Basildon, Rayleigh, Thurrock and South Woodham Ferrers swapped their usual attire for blue outfits to match the colour of the forget-me-not symbol associated with charities which support people living with Dementia. We have also took part in a campaign run by the Southend Dementia Action Alliance by signing a forget-me-not flower petal as an act of awareness. The petals will now be used as part of a larger display.

Affinity Water Tower

Helen Jago, an Associate at our Rayleigh office, abseiled down the 160ft Affinity Water Tower in Harlow, raising over £400 in the process. The funds raised will go to our company’s chosen charity, the Polly Parrot Appeal the Children’s Wards at Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals.

Innovative Mentoring Scheme

We helped to launch the innovative Industry Champion Mentor Scheme in conjunction with Southend Council. The scheme sees members of the local business community mentoring young people across the area.

Rayleigh Town Museum

The team at the newly-opened Rayleigh office of Palmers Solicitors named Rayleigh Town Museum as the office’s inaugural chosen charity. The museum, which is free to visit, is home to a wide range of Rayleigh-related items, including postcards, maps and books, all charting the town’s history back to its mention in the Domesday Book.

Christmas Shop Front Competition

Three Rayleigh businesses were announced as the winners of the town’s annual shop front competition, which was sponsored by Palmers Solicitors. Adam Davis, a Director at Palmers Solicitors, joined Councillor Carol Pavelin, Chairman of Rayleigh Town Council, to make the presentations. The Dogs Trust was the winner in the Charity category, Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe was the winner in the Commercial category, while the Spread Eagle was the winner in the Public House category.

Christmas Jumper Day

Our team raised hundreds of pounds to support young patients at two local hospitals by donning Christmas jumpers. Members of the team raised the funds in support of our company’s charity of the year, the Polly Parrott Appeal, which supports young patients at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals. In total, staff raised £212.95 by holding a raffle and by wearing Christmas jumpers and other Christmassy paraphernalia into work.

Lakeside’s Give a Gift

We marked the countdown to Christmas by raising funds for Lakeside’s Give a Gift initiative and the Thurrock Young Carers initiative. Members of our team had a stall at Warren Primary School’s Christmas Fete and raised further money at a Give a Gift day at our offices. The £287 total purchased 16 stars from the Give a Gift Tree at Lakeside which provides Christmas presents for local underprivileged children, with the remaining cash donated to the Thurrock Young Carers initiative.

Christmas Card Designs

We chose four fantastic designs by pupils at Treetops School in Grays, which were used in our company’s 2017 Christmas e-card. Treetops is a special school for pupils aged from three to 19 who have moderate learning difficulties. First prize was awarded to Rebecca Cole-Velvin, aged 10, second prize was awarded to Jacob Lorenzo Roberts, aged six third prize went to Callum Treggunno aged eight and fourth prize was awarded to Abudulmalik Adeyanju, aged eight.

Annual Carol Concert

Alongside accountancy firm, Rickard Luckin, Palmers held its annual Carol Concert at St Martin of Tours Church in Basildon which, this year, raised money in support of the Polly Parrot Appeal and the Essex Community Foundation.

Festive-themed Poetry Competition

We helped celebrate local schoolchildren’s poetic flair with a festive-themed poetry competition at Rayleigh Primary School. The competition was divided by age group into four categories, with prizes for the top three festive-themed poems. First prizes were awarded to Abigail Wilson, Year 1; Lucy Barnett, Year 2; Matilda Barry, Years 3 and 4; and Oliver Cheung, Years 5 and 6. As part of their prize they were invited to read their poems at our Christmas Carol Concert at St Martin’s Church in Basildon.

Money Matters

Money saving specialists from organisations including the Citizens Advice Bureau, JobCentre Plus and Basildon Council came together to share their expertise at the town’s Money Matters event held at the Basildon Centre, sponsored by Palmers Solicitors. This series of drop-in sessions helped residents to find out how they can save money on their gas and electricity bills, while also getting some helpful legal advice from our team.

Thurrock Education Awards

We helped to celebrate the achievements of Thurrock’s education professionals when we sponsored and presented the Aspiring Leader award at the Thurrock Education Awards at Thurrock Civic Hall. BJ Chong, a Director at our company, presented the prestigious award to Jamie Stephens of Chadwell St Mary Primary School.

Palmers Solicitors sponsored the Voluntary Group of the Year award

Palmers Solicitors sponsored the Voluntary Group of the Year award at the Basildon Council Volunteer Awards. The award was presented by Lee McClellan, a Director at our company, to the Food Ministry Team at St. Andrew’s and Holy Cross Churches in recognition of their efforts to provide food and company to children and their families, as well as to the elderly and socially isolated and the wider community.

Charity of the Year

The Polly Parrot Appeal, which raises funds for the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals, has been announced as Palmers Solicitors official charity for the coming year, with a series of events and fundraising initiatives, including the company’s annual carol service in December. Each year, around 6,500 younger patients stay on the hospitals’ children’s wards and a further 20,000 visit for an outpatient appointment.

Town Mayor’s Charity Concert

Palmers Solicitors sponsored the Town Mayor’s Charity Concert in South Woodham Ferrers. The concert, which was held at Dame Elizabeth Hall at William de Ferrers School, raised funds for the Town Mayor’s Charity, Muscular Dystrophy UK, and featured the Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

Palmers Solicitors continues commitment to Dementia Friends

Palmers Solicitors has recommitted to providing the best possible support to those living with dementia and their families, by training the new staff within its Older Client team as Dementia Friends. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative that aims to promote knowledge about the different forms of dementia. The majority of Palmers Solicitors’ older client team are Dementia Friends and, following the recent expansion of the team, we invited Gillian Gibson, an Alzheimer’s Society volunteer, to provide an information session.

Pancake-themed Fundraising

A pancake-themed fundraiser raised hundreds of pounds for a local hospice charity. The event, which included a pancake race, was held by Palmers Solicitors at our South Woodham Ferrers offices. The event raised £200 for the Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford through donations from staff, clients and contacts who attended.

Lawyers bring movie magic to South Woodham Ferrers

A slice of Hollywood big-screen glamour is enjoyed by the community in South Woodham Ferrers, thanks to the town’s monthly Champion Film Club, which is sponsored by Palmers Solicitors. The club is held at the Town Council on the second Wednesday of each month. Doors open at 12.30pm for tea, coffee and biscuits, with films starting at 1.30pm.

Dementia Awareness Day

Members of our Wills, Trusts and Probate department supported Dementia Awareness Day on Friday 20 January. Members of the team also signed up as Dementia Friends and wore blue to raise awareness of the condition.

Christmas Jumper Day

Members of our team wore Christmas jumpers to work, with each making a donation to St Luke’s Hospice in Basildon. A total of £314.35 was raised by staff, through the donations as well as a raffle and a competition to win prizes.

Annual Christmas e-Card

Our company supported the creativity of local schoolchildren for our 2016 Christmas card design. Designs created by pupils from Treetops School in Thurrock were used for our annual Christmas e-card. First prize was awarded to Will Stanley, aged 8, second prize was awarded to Vincent Spencer, aged 6, third prize went to William Bates, aged 10, and fourth prize went to Madeleine Davis, also aged 10.

Basildon office has signed up to the London Marathon to raise funds for St Luke’s Hospice

Kimberley Portas, who works as legal assistant within our residential property team at our Basildon office has signed up to the London Marathon to raise funds for St Luke’s Hospice. This will not be Kimberley’s first London Marathon, however. In 2012, she also took part in the race for St Luke’s Hospice, raising more than £1,800 in the process.

Sweet treats for a deserving cause

Our staff held a cake sale as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s coffee morning initiative. A total of £194.06 was raised at the event, which was organised by Associate Executive, Nicola Tubbs. The event was attended by a number of the company’s staff as well as around 25 clients and contacts.

Solicitors sponsor volunteer award

Palmers Solicitors sponsored and took part in the judging of the Inspirational Role Model category at the Basildon Council Volunteer Awards. The award was won by Carol Franklin who was nominated for her work in support of the Steeple View Community Centre.

Palmers Solicitors presents award to aspiring lawyer

Our company sponsored an award for Outstanding Student of the Year 2016 at Pitsea-based Basildon Upper Academy. The winner, Charlie Murray-Woodrofe, took home an e-reader and a certificate and also secured a two day work experience placement at Palmers Solicitors. Charlie wants to become a solicitor in the future and is hoping to study Law at university in 2017.

Inspiring Career Opportunity Award

Palmers Solicitors, is sponsoring the Inspiring Career Opportunity Award at the Thurrock Education Awards 2016. The Inspiring Career Opportunity Award recognises innovative projects or opportunities which have shown dedication in helping children and young people make the transition into work. This is the third consecutive year that we have sponsored an award category, having sponsored the Inspiring Leader Award in 2014 and 2015.

Dementia Awareness Week

Palmers Solicitors has donating £25 to the Alzheimer’s Society for every Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) created with the firm this month. The donations coincide with Dementia Awareness Week, which this year is taking place from 15 to 21 May.

Sponsoring South Woodham Ferrers Cinema Club

We are pleased to announce we are sponsoring South Woodham Ferrers Cinema Club. The Club arose from a desire by the Town Council to create opportunities for local residents to regularly join a readily-accessible social group. Making use of the equipment at Champions Manor Hall Community Centre, the club shows a film every month on a Wednesday afternoon and the 200 registered members can enjoy free refreshments.