Charitable work has always been important to me. My family and my school were very involved in giving back, and it's something that has become a key part of my life.
Upon joining Brodies as a trainee, I was keen to keep that aspect alive. I took part in sponsored walks, gardening for an Edinburgh-based care home, reading to children in local schools, and every other charitable initiative available. However, it wasn't until almost two years after joining the firm, that I became a member of the Charities Committee.
Up until that point, I had joined in but had been unsure what was required of a committee member. It was only after I had initiated my own donation drive within the firm – a collection from colleagues to support two charities, one local and one national, who were providing meals and a place to shelter for homeless and disadvantaged people on Christmas day – that I thought I should join officially.
The Charities Committee at Brodies is made up of colleagues across the firm who believe in charity and community involvement is an essential part of working life. It's open to all and is the perfect opportunity for newer members of the firm, such as trainees, to get involved, while getting to know more colleagues across the firm. Summer placement students will usually always have the chance to get involved in something too as there is rarely a week that Brodies isn't raising money for something!
In addition to the many causes that we support each year, our current charity partner is Alzheimer Scotland, Scotland’s national dementia charity. Dementia is a condition that affects colleagues, friends, family and communities, so it felt like the right one for our firm when it came to choosing an organisation we could support.
Recently, many of us within the firm, including myself, took part in Dementia Friends training provided by Alzheimer Scotland, which taught us more about how dementia can affect people, whether directly or indirectly, and how we can help. I feel lucky to have an employer that sees the value in taking part in these types of sessions and encourages us to do so.
The support Brodies provides to get involved in charity work is unmatched, in my experience. There is a real network of support and encouragement to reach out and help those in the community. I will be running my Christmas meal donation drive again in 2020, and I am lucky to know that after a very testing year I can do my bit to help bring a bit of positivity to those who need it the most.
When things go back to "normal" and we can fundraise in the usual ways, my name will be top of the list for the next big charitable hike. My vote is for the Inca Trail!
Applications for our 2021 summer placements are open until Monday 11 January.
