Ashtons Charitable Trust donates £18,000 to local causes

Ashtons Charitable Trust, the charitable trust set up by law firm Ashtons Legal in 2014, has recently donated £18,000 to eight charities and causes across the Eastern region and two in West Yorkshire where the firm also have a team in Leeds trading as Heslop & Platt.

The money was raised in the 2021/22 year through Ashtons Legal branded corporate and charity fundraising events, by staff supporting internal activities such as bake sales and social events and through the Ashtons Legal Wills Campaign where the firm donates £10 for every new will created for clients in the year.

The Ashtons Charitable Trust was set up in 2014 with the aim of giving something back to the communities which the firm’s staff live and work in. By way of grants and donations, the Trust supports charitable causes and community groups in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and West Yorkshire (where Ashtons’ have offices). These charities and causes are supported in two ways – by staff nominating and voting for their Charities of the Year who go on to receive an annual donation, and by direct applications from charities and groups which are considered at the end of the calendar year.

The four chosen Charities of the Year for 2022 were East Anglia Children’s Hospices, The Feed in Norwich, The Royal Papworth Trust in Cambridge and Support After Rape & Sexual Violence (SARSVL) in Leeds. Collectively, they received a total of £14,400 from the Trust and delightfully, SARSVL were able to have their donation match-funded through a local campaign so their donation doubled to £7,200! The remaining £3,600 was split equally between six charities who had submitted direct applications for funds – Fresh Start, New Beginnings in Ipswich, Fulfil The Wish in Bradford, Cambridgeshire charities Caring Together, Something To Look Forward To and Tom’s Trust and in Norfolk Star Throwers who are based in Wymondham.

Chairperson of the CSR Committee, Janette Wand, said: “Due to the current cost of living crisis it is more important than ever to offer our support to the charities and causes that our staff choose. We are delighted to have been able to share our highest amount ever between these worthwhile causes and we really hope 2023 is another successful fundraising year for us.”

Pictured: Ashtons Legal representatives doing cheque presentations to the four staff nominated Charities of the Year.
Top left – Royal Papworth Trust
Top right – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
Bottom left – Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds
Bottom right – The Feed.