At our March 2018 national Employee Forum it was proposed that in order to help bring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life amongst our staff each office would adopt one of the 17 goals and undertake supporting actions to progress the goal during 2018/2019.
The SDGs have been described as the nearest thing to a global strategy for a world that is fairer, safer, healthier, more prosperous and in better balance with nature.
We are looking forward to seeing how these plans evolve but they will typically involve charity partnerships, pro bono advice, volunteering, client collaboration and depending on the goal chosen alignment with other business priorities such as diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, health safety and environment for instance. This year’s selection of local charity partners has shown that goals 3 Good Health and Wellbeing and 10 Reduced Inequalities were particularly popular.
Our chosen local charities 2018/2019 are:
| Office | Charity | Focus |
| Belfast | MACs NI | Supports children and young people aged 11-25 who haven’t had a fair deal in life. |
| Birmingham | Little Hearts Matter | Offers help to anyone affected by the diagnosis of single ventricle heart condition. |
| Edinburgh | The Scottish Association for Mental Health | Provides a range of mental health and support services. |
| Leeds | Martin House | Provides family-led care and support for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. |
| London | Reach Out | A mentoring charity working with young people in disadvantaged communities to raise aspirations and help them grow in character and attainment. |
| Manchester | Young Minds | Supports young adults suffering from a range of illnesses through mental illness. |
| Milton Keynes | Ride High | Transforms the lives of disadvantaged children and those having difficulties in their daily lives, using horses to build their self-esteem and confidence and improve their future prospects. |
| Northampton* | Northampton and District Mind | Offers support to anyone who faces mental health challenges. |
| Nottingham | Improving Lives | Provides wide-ranging support to the most vulnerable Nottingham City residents. |
| Solent | Solent Mind | Offers a range of services to improve mental wellbeing and campaigns to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental health. |
| Thames Valley | No 5 Young People | Offers confidential listening to support children, young people and those around them. |
*Northampton selects a charity every month but this charity will be a beneficiary throughout the year.
The 11 charities will also benefit from Pennies from Heaven donations and our firm wide silent auction donations which is launched on national Giving Tuesday 27 November 2018.
Disclaimer
This information is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. Please contact us for specific advice on your circumstances. © Shoosmiths LLP 2025.