Community
Where ordinary people power extraordinary change.
Community is what we have in common. We want to use our people power to enrich the lives of others and foster a sense of belonging.
Our approach to community is three-fold: nurturing the next generation through education, making a difference through our people, and charitable giving.
Community
Where ordinary people power extraordinary change.
Community is what we have in common. We want to use our people power to enrich the lives of others and foster a sense of belonging.
Our approach to community is three-fold: nurturing the next generation through education, making a difference through our people, and charitable giving.
2024 at a glance.
total community investment from charitable donations and pro-bono work.
team members used a Be the difference day.
charities regularly supported through Be the difference days.
hours spent on pro bono.
Nurturing the next generation through education.
The Wells Free School is located next to our head office in Tunbridge Wells. Our partnership started in 2022 with the question: “How can we be a better neighbour?”. Responding directly to the learning and cultural needs they told us about we co-designed a 12-month rolling programme of activity. We are now replicating the success of this model with other primary schools close to our offices in London and Horsham, West Sussex.
Being a Maths Wizard is not just about helping the students understand maths, it’s about helping them find and develop their love of learning.”
Anna Drapper, Trainee Solicitor
Powering change through our people and charitable giving.
A natural part of being at Cripps is sharing our time and skills for causes we care about.
Be the difference days.
Everyone at Cripps is invited to take at least one paid volunteer day per year to Be the difference. Options are sent out every 6 weeks or individuals can choose their own causes. Volunteering is integrated into appraisals and accepted as a way we develop skills and foster empathy. Of the 35 charities we have supported in 2024, these include:
Annual Christmas appeal.
Our annual Christmas children's toy and hamper appeal continues. Partnering with social services, we gathered gifts for 198 children and organised hampers for 55 families that provided Christmas dinner to 245 people.
Pro bono.
The power of pro bono is the impact on people’s lives who would not otherwise be able to afford legal help. It also opens our eyes to injustices in society so we can advocate for change. A few of the organisations we have supported:
Following a successful pilot in 2023, five of our trainees have been assisting carers to complete benefit forms, removing the administrative burden and giving them some time back to live their lives.
One of our lawyers has been representing the voice of a vulnerable young woman in connection with unpaid rent to a student landlord, which resulted in her becoming homeless.
This charity offers horticultural training and employment for women prisoners reaching the end of their sentences to reduce reoffending. We deal with multiple legal matters to help them succeed.
Members of our business services team helped create an online training module to equip health professionals to prevent, diagnose, and treat group B Strep infection.
Stepping in to provide contractual and dispute resolution services to this charity helping refugees with evacuations, emergency aid and longer-term education and employment opportunities.
Pro bono has allowed me to connect with people I might not otherwise have met, and develop my legal and social skills.”
Patricia Harriman, Associate, Commercial Disputes
Charity of the year.
Demelza became our chosen charity partner for 2023/24 after a firmwide vote. Our teams raised funds through the annual bake-off, quiz night and challenges from skydiving to the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The firm raised £48,500 enabling Demelza to continue delivering care to children facing serious or life-limiting conditions, and their families.
We can achieve more.
- Our charitable giving has been broad, making it difficult to measure impact. Long-term thinking and structured partnerships with organisations will help us make a bigger difference as we grow.
- Mindsets are shifting from ‘giving back’ to broader concepts of responsible business. We must understand more about our material impacts and the social needs of our community to make a positive difference with our clients and through our legal services.