Gordons raises nearly £20,000 in a year for Leeds-based children’s charity
Wednesday 19th February 2014
Staff at Yorkshire law firm Gordons have raised almost £20,000 for Leeds-based children’s charity PhysCap in the last year.
The team from the firm’s Bradford and Leeds offices generated the funds through various activities after voting to make the organisation their chosen charity for the 12 months beginning a year ago.
Run entirely by volunteers, PhysCap is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children across Yorkshire who suffer from severe physical and mental disabilities through the purchase of specialised and therapeutic equipment. Families are frequently referred to the charity by therapists, hospitals and specialist schools, often as a last resort when efforts to obtain funding elsewhere have been rebuffed.
Gordons’ money-generating efforts included organising a football tournament, held at Leeds’ Goals Soccer Centre, involving 11 teams from the firm and its clients, which raised £1,300. Almost £1,200 was contributed through staff being sponsored to undertake the 40-mile Lyke Wake Walk, a complete crossing of the North Yorkshire Moors, while a similar amount was generated through a summer fete, organised by some of the firm’s other employees.
PhysCap chairman Daniel Gray said: “We depend on the generosity of businesses and individuals to ensure we can continue to assist children who need our help. We therefore can’t thank Gordons’ staff enough for the efforts they’ve put in to making such a difference to the lives of many children across the region.
“Some of the money has already been spent – it’s helped to fund a motorised wheel chair for a girl in Ilkley, for example. A substantial amount of the funding has also been used to buy items benefiting the 175 pupils at Dewsbury’s Ravenshall School with complex needs. Most have moderate learning difficulties, combined with other special educational needs, such as behavioural difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders.”
John Holden, senior partner at Gordons, said his firm was delighted to have raised such a large sum for so worthy a cause.
He said: “PhysCap is run entirely by volunteers, which is refreshing. The fact that it helps children with physical and mental disabilities – and is based in Yorkshire – means the money’s uses are highly visible, which is very satisfying for us.”
Established in 1970, PhysCap has supported children with a wide range of conditions and syndromes, including cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. It has provided equipment including touch screen computers, electric buggies, wheelchairs, specially adapted trikes, standing frames and smart boards.
PhysCap has bought equipment including an electronic “touch talker” enabling a teenager to speak to his family for the first time. It also funded the design of a “twinkle eye” switch, which allowed a girl, paralysed except for being able to move her eyelids, to activate a computer. In addition, the organisation has contributed to the adaption of an entire home.
Among the organisation’s patrons are legendary TV chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson, Rotherham-based World Cup football referee Howard Webb MBE, Coronation Street actor Jack Shepherd and former Apprentice star Claire Young. For further information about PhysCap, please visit http://www.physcap.org.
For more details on Gordons, please see www.gordonsllp.com