Leading law firm, Stephensons Solicitors LLP, has donated 15 crates of food to the Atherton and Leigh foodbank.
This month, Stephensons made a firm-wide donation to the Atherton and Leigh foodbank. In exchange for taking part in a dress down day, Stephensons’ staff were asked to donate an item of food from the foodbanks’ ‘shopping list’. The collection included items such as pasta, sauces, tinned food, biscuits, cereal, tea and coffee.
This time last year, the foodbank issued an average of 80 vouchers a month to people in need, however more recently this has almost doubled to 150 vouchers a month, demonstrating how much of a vital resource it is for local people living in poverty.
Ngaryan Li, solicitor in the Pro Bono legal services team at Stephensons, said: “Since the welfare reforms in April 2013, many low income families have struggled to keep putting food on the table. These changes, along with other economic difficulties, have caused a significant increase in the amount of people using foodbanks each month.
“As foodbanks rely solely on donations, there is always a constant demand for support. Our aim is to support the excellent work the foodbank is doing to help people in desperate situations by making regular donations from our 400 staff.”
David Hughes, secretary of the Atherton and Leigh Foodbank, said “We would like to thank Stephensons for all the support they have offered in the foodbank’s first year of operation. Not only has the firm supported the foodbank through regular food donations but they have also volunteered their time to take part in our foodraising events, such as our supermarket food collection days.
“It is important that local businesses help local charities and we are extremely thankful that a big company like Stephensons has got involved.”
Once a the month at one of the Atherton and Leigh’s Foodbank Distribution Centres, members of Stephensons’ Pro Bono team also hold a legal drop-in session for local people to access free initial legal advice.
ENDS
Media information: Lianne Tracey and Chloe Kendall
Stephensons Solicitors LLP
Tel: 01616 966 229
Email: lct@stephensons.co.uk or cke@stephensons.co.uk