The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund chosen as Ashtons’ Leeds Charity of the Year.

Ashtons Charitable Trust, the charitable trust set up by law firm Ashtons Legal in 2014, has recently chosen the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund to be the Leeds office’s charity of the year.

The money will be raised throughout the year supported by corporate and charity fundraising events, via internal activities such as raffles and social events, as well as through the Ashtons Legal Wills Campaign where the firm donates £10 for every new Will created throughout the year. These charities and causes are supported by staff nominating and voting for their Charities of the Year who then go on to receive an annual donation.

The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund was founded in 1988 and specialise in supporting babies, children, teens and adults with congenital heart disease. There are over 350 babies, children and adults with CHD that need to have open heart surgery and this charity can provide experts in identification, diagnosis and medical/surgical treatment for congenital heart disease, arrhythmias and acquired heart disease. The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund also provide screening services to large numbers of children in the region to exclude cardiac problems.

As well as medical support, other services are offered that have a wide range of practical, emotional, financial support for families, including a speech and language specialist who assesses and treats communication and swallowing disorders in cardiac patients. The charity is also able to signpost families to receive help from experts in the field.

Chair of Ashtons’ CSR Committee, Natalie Westgate says: “It is always a pleasure to support such worthwhile causes in our local communities and I thank all our staff for their support and fundraising efforts.”

“Looking ahead, we really want to form meaningful and lasting relationships with our Charities of the Year, so we have decided to increase the term we support them to two years. I am therefore delighted to announce that in 2024 and 2025 we will be working with Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, FoodCycle Cambridge, St Elizabeth Hospice, Young Lives vs Cancer and YMCA Norfolk.”