Our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility reflects our belief in supporting the local community that has provided our firm with work, services and employees over the last 230 years.

 

Our love of Basingstoke and appreciation for the thriving town that it has become is a key driver in much of the work that we do to ensure that we take responsibility to give back to the town in any ways that we can.

 

Whilst many firms give financial donations to charities or community schemes, we take the view that our time is just as valuable as financial contributions, if not more so. Whilst we always look to support local charities with fundraising, we also enjoy becoming a part of our community too, which is demonstrated by some of the initiatives we regularly support.

 

Making Law Accessible

 

On many occasions seeing a lawyer can be daunting and it is likely to be during a stressful period of your life. At Lamb Brooks we understand how difficult it can be for clients to access the best legal services when they are busy working, travelling or looking after their families. Reacting to this we try to make ourselves available in different ways.

 

Throughout the year we place ourselves at unexpected public events to allow individuals, families and businesses the opportunity to speak to someone free of charge. For example, last year we held several free business clinics at local business parks, we attended summer fairs, an outdoor cinema event and a Christmas Market.

 

Our team also make themselves available for a busy schedule of voluntary appointments at the Citizens Advice Bureau. This gives people who are unsure of where to go for advice, or those with limited funds an opportunity to speak to a lawyer in a confidential setting to try and find a way forward.

 

We recognise that it is not always easy to fund your legal journey. Wherever possible we try to offer Fixed Fee appointments so that you can be confident in your decisions and instruction before committing. We also pride ourselves on being transparent with our fees and provide detailed estimates.

 

Tea Dances for the Elderly

 

Our tea dances have become ‘talk of the town’ with tickets selling out for every event. These are held throughout the year at St Michael’s Church Cottage, giving the elderly community an opportunity to meet new people and enjoy nostalgic music and dancing over an afternoon tea. These are hosted and paid for by Lamb Brooks with staff serving the tea and leading the dancing. So far over £600 has been donated to Age Concern North Hampshire.

 

Charitable Giving

 

As a firm we take part in various fundraising activities each and every year. From baking competitions, cake sales and Christmas jumper days through to charity quiz nights, race nights and golf days. The firm has supported members of staff who take part in running and cycling events to raise money for charities close to their heart and during the winter months the law firm has pulled together to collect food items and clothing for the local food bank and homeless shelter.

 

With a busy office full people it is no surprise that cancer makes an impact on our members of staff all too often. With this in mind we are a big supporter of The Ark Cancer Centre Charity who are raising £5million to build a specialist treatment centre in our town. We have supported many events over the years, including the Sitting With Jane project which saw Basingstoke brought to life with colourful benches dotted around the town to celebrate the anniversary of Jane Austen. Our Lamb Brooks sponsored bench was auctioned after the event for £5,500.

 

This year our ‘Chosen Charity’ is Basingstoke Counselling Service, who will benefit from money raised at our monthly ‘dress down Fridays’. We selected this charity due to the wonderful work it does for our clients and other local people in need of support.

 

Looking After Our Environment

 

In order to try to be a ‘greener’ office we have recycling bins throughout the office and a large commercial recycling bin to ensure we recycle as much waste as possible. This includes the safe recycling of batteries, ink cartridges and electrical equipment. We also banished plastic cups from our water stations, use energy saving printers, lighting and equipment wherever possible.

 

Recently, we switched providers of our paper stationary, such as headed paper, business cards, brochures and marketing materials to an award winning local business who specialise in sustainable printing.

 

Looking After Our Staff

 

In January 2020 Lamb Brooks launched a Wellbeing programme to ensure our staff are supported in leading a happy and healthy lifestyle. On top of having an appointed Mental Health First-Aider, we have introduced a wellbeing wall, a monthly newsletter, a coffee raffle, social events and a programme of themed initiatives taking place each month. Monthly activities include Lunchtime Yoga, mindfulness, workplace massage and various other activities.