By trainee Genevieve Vaughan
Fundraising for the charity theme of the year
Burges Salmon has always put on fantastic in-person fundraising events such as 'Strictly Legal' (think Strictly Come Dancing), comedy nights, and carnivals. Last year was to be no different – with the headline event due to take place in March 2020 and to fundraise for our Charity Theme of the Year, 'No Child Goes Hungry'.
The unexpected challenges posed during 2020 meant that our headline event could not take place as planned. However, the events of the past year have highlighted that food insecurity is ongoing and significant.
The Burges Salmon Charity Committee
With this in mind, Burges Salmon’s Charity Committee decided to put on a virtual fundraising social ahead of Christmas 2020. The idea was to create an event that would bring the whole firm together virtually for an evening of fundraising, entertainment, and celebration.
In the months leading up to the Christmas fundraising event, a team from around the firm (and from across a huge range of roles) got together to plan the event. Our weekly meetings were often one of the highlights of my week – meeting with colleagues who I wouldn’t have otherwise met or worked with in the firm, to contribute to such a positive project.
The trainee team
Together with a sub-team of other trainees, I helped to coordinate the raffle and auction for our virtual extravaganza. Working with the other trainees to deliver these fundraising elements of the Christmas event brought together a range of positives that I have encountered generally during my time with the firm – particularly, a supportive culture that encourages and enables us to contribute to our local communities.
The trainee team worked hard to source raffle and auction prizes, and to manage the logistical problems that a virtual event like this threw in our direction. People from around the firm and some local businesses were very generous with their time and we received some fantastic auction and raffle prize donations.
The long-awaited event
Despite the challenges that dodgy Wi-Fi sent our way on the night of the event, the Charity Committee pulled off an evening of brilliant entertainment, featuring a gameshow (which revealed some hidden comedians in the firm), hosting that would rival the Queen’s Speech, and the Burges Salmon choir’s very jolly carol singing. Our charitable auction also saw more than one bidding war – who knew that antique clocks would be so popular?!
The fundraising event was both a way of connecting with people from around the firm, and an evening that raised a huge amount for charities based in Bristol and Edinburgh. At the end of a difficult year for all, we were very pleased to find out that our event raised around £5,000 for our Charity Theme of the Year.