Corporate Social Responsibility - Palmers Solicitors
Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility

At Palmers Solicitors, we recognise our responsibilities and the potential impact our business has on the local community and the environment where we all live and work.

We are committed to running a successful business but we also take steps to support our staff in initiatives which have a positive effect on our Corporate Social Responsibility aims.

What does this mean in practice?

We regularly review and, where possible, implement new initiatives which reduce our energy consumption and wastage.

We have maintenance contracts in place so that all major equipment is regularly serviced to help maintain energy efficiency.

We have adopted a number of waste management initiatives, including the recycling of paper, card, and printer cartridges. We also encourage all staff to recycle and we have recycling bins throughout the office areas.

We aim, where possible, to purchase recycled products, for example, recycled toner cartridges and paper products.

We also use the services of local businesses for stationery products etc. to keep lorry transport deliveries and our carbon footprint to a minimum.

We endeavour to work with partner organisations that share our environmental values.

We encourage our staff, where it is possible and appropriate to do so, to use email correspondence rather than paper correspondence.

We use in-house training and webinars where possible to avoid the need to travel, which helps reduce our carbon footprint.

The majority of company-related information is shared via internal email. For example, we have created email recipient groups/work-type teams so that we can send out relevant emails to specific groups, along with a weekly “Staff Bulletin” which is emailed to all staff.

You can find out about the measures we have put in place to reduce our carbon footprint here.

We support a number of charitable organisations through donation, sponsorship, advertising and attendance at a wide range of functions such as charity quiz nights, an annual Christmas Carol Concert, staff ‘Christmas jumper’ days, as well as formal dinners, receptions and luncheons.

Our staff regularly participate in charity fund-raising events from abseiling to cake sales.

Details of our latest charity fundraising events can be found here on our timeline

We encourage community work.  For example, our staff are involved in a local school reading project and a number of our lawyers offer legal advice to the local CAB office.

We recognise the importance of education in our communities.  Where appropriate, our staff are encouraged to apply for appointments as governors of schools and colleges.

Our practice works with local schools, colleges and universities to offer student placements and encourage students to join the legal profession.

We also support local schools through the sponsorship of student award schemes and we are actively involved in a mentoring scheme which inspires local students to aim for career success, by showing how hard work and a focus on studying can pay off in the long-term.

We promote equality and well-being amongst our staff. We are committed to maintaining a workplace where our staff can achieve our company’s collective goals in a mutually supportive way.

We provide:

  • Clear, consistent and fair contracts of employment to all employees
  • Benefits such as a pension scheme, private medical healthcare
  • An employee of the quarter award to recognise outstanding performance
  • A staff reward scheme for the introduction of new clients
  • Various social events throughout the year
  • Weekly staff e-bulletins

We recognise the importance of training and development to support career progression.

We are committed to providing a comfortable and safe physical environment in which to work. Comprehensive Health & Safety and Fire Safety Policies are in place. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and we have fire safety systems in place at all of our offices.

We are also committed to equality of opportunity in our recruitment and employment practices and we have an extensive equality & diversity policy and training in place.

Palmers is proud to be part of the Disability Confident movement of change which encourages businesses to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

Timeline

2019
28 November 2019
28 November 2019

We had a fantastic time at the Rayleigh Christmas lights switch-on, and were pleased to be sponsors, whilst raising money for the Polly Parrot Appeal too.

Supporting the Thurrock Education Awards
Supporting the Thurrock Education Awards

We are proud to sponsor the “Teaching and school support of the year” award in the 2019 Thurrock Education Awards, celebrating excellence in the borough’s schools.

Supporting Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Supporting Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

We held a coffee and cakes event to in aid of Alzheimer’s Society, to promote Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and to improve awareness of conditions affecting the brain.

Celebrating equality and diversity at Basildon Pride
Celebrating equality and diversity at Basildon Pride

We had a stall at Basildon Pride, with a line-up of artists and entertainers for the community.

Backing Rayleigh High Street
Backing Rayleigh High Street

We had a stall at the Rayleigh Trinity Fair once again, with a range of activities on offer for people young and old.

Supporting Dementia Awareness Week
Supporting Dementia Awareness Week

We held a coffee morning to promote Dementia Awareness Week and to improve awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s. We also had a stall at Rayleigh Market on 22 May.

Giving for Thurrock
Giving for Thurrock

We raised more than £500 towards Giving for Thurrock Day with a range of activities.

Promoting integrity
Promoting integrity

We sponsored and presented the Palmers Solicitors Prize for Integrity.

Recognition for our staff wellbeing initiatives
Recognition for our staff wellbeing initiatives

We were shortlisted in the Wellbeing category of the prestigious LexisNexis Legal Awards 2019 in recognition of the range of initiatives we undertake to promote the wellbeing of our staff.

2018
Christmas Carol Concert
Christmas Carol Concert

We raised hundreds of pounds for two local charities with a collection at our Christmas carol concert in 2018. We invited clients and contacts to the service at Holy Trinity Church in Rayleigh on Tuesday 11 December 2018. A collection at the concert raised a total of £631.23, which was split between the Polly Parrot Appeal for children’s services at Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals and the Rayleigh Town Museum.  

Give a Gift
Give a Gift

We raised more than £2,000 to help ‘Give a Gift’ to children in care at Christmas 2018. The funds raised were used to buy stars from Thurrock Council’s Christmas tree located at Intu Lakeside shopping centre. Each star cost £15 and represented a child in care. We raised enough money for 143 stars, each of which helped ensure a child received a present at Christmas 2018.

Supporting Rayleigh’s High Street
Supporting Rayleigh’s High Street

We sponsored Rayleigh Town Council’s Best Dressed Window competition for the second year running, presenting awards to our neighbours at the British Hear Foundation, Roman Kitchens and the Spread Eagle.

Inflatable 5k run
Polly Parrot Appeal

Three members of our team raised hundreds of pounds for charity at an inflatable 5k run. Associate Executive, Nicola Tubbs and Legal Secretaries, Caroline Dovey and Victoria Levitt all took part in the event to raise money for the Polly Parrot Appeal, which supports the work of the children’s wards at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals.

Rayleigh Trinity Fair
Rayleigh Trinity Fair

Our Rayleigh office helped the local community enjoy all the fun of the fair in June. Palmers Solicitors was the lead sponsor of the historic Rayleigh Trinity Fair, which can trace its origins back to 1227, and our popular stall featured plenty of competitions and activities.

Dementia Awareness Week
Dementia Awareness Week

Staff at our offices in Basildon, Rayleigh, Thurrock and South Woodham Ferrers swapped their usual attire for blue outfits to match the colour of the forget-me-not symbol associated with charities which support people living with Dementia. We have also took part in a campaign run by the Southend Dementia Action Alliance by signing a forget-me-not flower petal as an act of awareness. The petals will now be used as part of a larger display.

Affinity Water Tower
Affinity Water Tower

Helen Jago, an Associate at our Rayleigh office, abseiled down the 160ft Affinity Water Tower in Harlow, raising over £400 in the process. The funds raised will go to our company’s chosen charity, the Polly Parrot Appeal the Children’s Wards at Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals.

Innovative Mentoring Scheme
Innovative Mentoring Scheme

We helped to launch the innovative Industry Champion Mentor Scheme in conjunction with Southend Council. The scheme sees members of the local business community mentoring young people across the area.

Rayleigh Town Museum
Rayleigh Town Museum

The team at the newly-opened Rayleigh office of Palmers Solicitors named Rayleigh Town Museum as the office’s inaugural chosen charity. The museum, which is free to visit, is home to a wide range of Rayleigh-related items, including postcards, maps and books, all charting the town’s history back to its mention in the Domesday Book.

2017
Christmas Shop Front Competition
Christmas Shop Front Competition

Three Rayleigh businesses were announced as the winners of the town’s annual shop front competition, which was sponsored by Palmers Solicitors. Adam Davis, a Director at Palmers Solicitors, joined Councillor Carol Pavelin, Chairman of Rayleigh Town Council, to make the presentations. The Dogs Trust was the winner in the Charity category, Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe was the winner in the Commercial category, while the Spread Eagle was the winner in the Public House category.

Christmas Jumper Day
Christmas Jumper Day

Our team raised hundreds of pounds to support young patients at two local hospitals by donning Christmas jumpers. Members of the team raised the funds in support of our company’s charity of the year, the Polly Parrott Appeal, which supports young patients at Basildon and Thurrock hospitals. In total, staff raised £212.95 by holding a raffle and by wearing Christmas jumpers and other Christmassy paraphernalia into work.