2016 – A fantastic year of volunteering and CSR at Emsleys

2016 saw a whole host of diverse volunteering and CSR activities undertaken by staff at Emsleys Solicitors and Emsleys Estate Agents. Emsleys can proudly announce that it raised over £4,000 for charity, supporting organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support, Dementia Friends, Sport Relief, SCARD and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

In April, Emsleys supported Sherburn Hungate School and Nursery with a bake sale during Stage Two of the Tour de Yorkshire, and in the following month, volunteers painted a mural at Parklands Primary School as part of Business in the Community’s (BITC) Give and Gain initiative. In August, the firm supported the inaugural Leeds Pride Parkrun takeover by the Leeds Frontrunners, providing sportswear for the occasion. The event celebrated 10 years of Leeds Pride and over 400 people took part in the Parkrun at Woodhouse Moor. September saw Emsleys host a family fun day in aid of their Charity of the Year, Macmillan Cancer Support. The fundraiser included activities such as a bouncy castle, fire engine, food vans, cake sales and craft stalls, raising over £1,100 for the charity.

Additionally, Emsleys continued to support BITC. In June, Solicitor Rachel Sharp was shortlisted for the BITC ‘Yorkshire Business Champion’ Award, which recognised her contribution to the local community, as well as her commitment to going above and beyond the call of duty.

Since September 2016, Emsleys employees have been taking part in BITC’s Right to Read at Seacroft Grange Primary School, with staff visiting the school on a weekly basis to read with pupils. Over the last few months, the volunteers have seen their readers improve, which demonstrates the importance and value of the project. In addition to this, five members of staff from across Emsleys’ branches are supporting BITC’s Enterprise Challenge. They attended training sessions in November and December in preparation for mentoring groups of secondary school students in January.

Director Andrew Greenwood said: “I am delighted that Emsleys has been involved with so many worthwhile volunteering and charitable activities over the past year and I look forward to continuing to support our local community in 2017.”