Category: Charity

We are delighted to announce that the Merseyside Junior Lawyers Division charity Zumbathon (Sunday 27th April), sponsored by Hampson Hughes Solicitors has helped to raise an outstanding £6411.48 for CHIC’s Children’s Cancer Trust. Individual sponsorship, cake sales and raffles all helped towards raising this fantastic amount of money!

This year, the MJLD chose CHIC’s as their official charity partner and the Zumbathon was the last in a long list of events put on to raise funds for the charity Organised by Hampson Hughes’ trainee solicitor Kesiena Ovien, the Zumbathon was attended by over 110 people and 21 instructors got the room dancing across the afternoon!

Even Harvey and Archie, our mascots, made an appearance at the Zumbathon – joined by CHIC’s mascot!

Hampson Hughes Solicitors, specialists in no win no fee personal injury compensation, joined other local businesses to deliver Easter eggs to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital this week.

The Liverpool law firm was approached by two other big Merseyside employers, DHL and Jaguar Land Rover, who decided to join forces to give children at the hospital an Easter to remember.

Combined staff at the three local businesses collected 829 Easter eggs and raised £767.96 for the children’s charity.

Commenting on the Easter egg appeal Paul Hampson, joint managing director at Hampson Hughes Solicitors, said: “Hampson Hughes Solicitors is a keen supporter of Alder hey Children’s Hospital.

“When we were approached by DHL and Jaguar Land Rover we were delighted to join them and support this fantastic cause.

“We were also pleased to take along our company mascots, Harvey and Archie, who were a big hit with the children.”

A team from Hampson Hughes Solicitors, specialists in no win no fee personal injury compensation, has completed a 350km charity cycle ride across Cuba.

The ten-day cycling expedition, which began in the Cuban capital of Havana and ended by the Caribbean Sea in Trinidad, helped raise £3,303.00 for charity.

Paul Hampson and Stephen Hampson completed the challenge on behalf of the firm’s charitable foundation which supports a range of local causes.

These are: Positive Futures; Alder Hey Children’s Charity; Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and CHIC’s Children’s Cancer Support Group.

The trip, which forms part of a number of fundraising activities taking place this year, was completely self-funded by the participants so all of the money raised will go direct to the chosen charities.

Paul Hampson, joint managing partner at Hampson Hughes Solicitors and a trustee of the Hampson Hughes Charitable Foundation, said: “The Cuban cycle ride is one of a number of fundraising activities that we are taking part in this year.

“Through a series of charity challenges, fundraising days and payroll giving the firm is hoping to raise tens of thousands of pounds in 2014 which we hope will make a significant contribution to our charity partners.”

The work of the Hampson Hughes Charitable Foundation will build on existing charity partnerships including the company’s support for Caudwell Children which launched its Merseyside service with support from the firm.

A BIRKENHEAD store manager is using her Zumba moves to support a good friend and raise money for the charity which helped her fight leukaemia when she was a teenager.

For the past four years 41-year-old Sarah Hastie, who heads the sales team at Trespass in Pyramids Shopping Centre, Birkenhead, has been mad keen on Zumba, the Latin-inspired dance fitness programme which is now sweeping the world.

Its hectic workouts have helped her to shed an amazing ten and a half stone and she’s become such an enthusiast that she recently qualified as an instructor to host her own weekly class.

Sarah is now putting her expertise to good use by helping to lead a big charity Zumbathon organised by close friend and fellow Zumba fan Kesiena Ovien in aid of CHICS – the Children’s Cancer Support Group.

The charity supports families going through cancer and helped Kesiena during her own battle with leukaemia when she was in her teens. The charity zumbathon is being sponsored by the Liverpool-based Hampson Hughes Solicitors where Kesiena works as a trainee solicitor.

Sarah, who lives in Knowsley Village, Liverpool, explained that she originally took up Zumba as a way of getting fit as her 40^th birthday approached.

She said: “I’d always been fairly large and when I reached the age of 37 I weighed 19 stones.

“I decided it was time to do something about it, so I started on a healthy eating programme and also looked around for some sort of exercise I could do.

“I heard about the Zumba class at my local village hall and took myself down there. I just loved it and haven’t looked back since.

“In the past four years I’ve been doing Zumba I’ve lost ten and a half stones and now weigh about eight and a half stones.

“When I started doing Zumba I was a bit self-conscious but within a few weeks I’d moved from the back of the class to the front.

“It’s so empowering and it doesn’t matter what you look like, how old you are or whether you’re male or female.

“We do it to all sorts of dance styles like flamenco, salsa and street and it’s very exciting.  Some people call it exercise in disguise. It’s also such a laugh to take part in.

“Both my daughters, Courtney, who is 16, and Erin, who is 12, both love Zumba as much as I do.”

Sarah, who has been with Trespass for seven years and has managed the Pyramids store for the past six months, added: “I wanted to pass the enjoyment and benefits on to others, so I trained as a Zumba instructor and now have my own group which meets in Prescott on Merseyside every week and attracts about 20 people, both men and women.

“I’ve also done quite a few Zumbathons in aid of various charities over the past few years, including Comic Relief a couple of times.

“It was at the Comic Relief event last year that I first met my friend Kesiena Ovien. She had leukaemia when she was younger and is just an amazing person.

“She’s training to be a solicitor with a Hampson Hughes Solicitors, who are sponsoring the event, and has qualified as a Zumba instructor herself.

“Kesiena is organising a Zumbathon in aid of the children’s cancer support group CHIC’S at the Wavertree Lifestyle Centre on Sunday, April 27 and I’m one of a number of instructors who will be helping her.

“The instructors will be on a big stage up front and will lead the rest in a non-stop exercise routine lasting for three hours from 1-4pm.

“We’re expecting around 150 people to turn up and help raise as much money as possible for CHICS through sponsorship. They’ll be coming from all over Merseyside and the Wirral and there will be girls and even a few guys joining in.

“I just can’t wait to do it because it will be so much fun. I’m also delighted to be helping CHICS which does such marvellous work.

“It helps to support the whole family of a child diagnosed with cancer in a variety of ways like producing a regular newsletter, drop-in centres and parent meetings.  There’s also a telephone befriending service, trips and parties and holidays for the children and their families.”

Derek Millar, Commercial Director for Pyramids Shopping Centre, said: “I wish Sarah and her friend Kesiena lots of luck with their very energetic efforts for CLICS. It sounds like a fantastic charity to raise money for.”

Sarah’s friend Kesiena Ovien, who is 26 and comes from Liverpool, said: “I was diagnosed with leukaemia when I was 13. I had treatment for three years and, touch wood, I am free of it now.

“It was while I was having my treatment in Alder Hey Hospital that I had my first contact with CHICS. They were fantastic and helped me and my family so much that I wanted to do something to help them in return.

“I’m a trainee solicitor at Hampson Hughes Solicitors in Liverpool and I’m also the charity co-ordinator for the Merseyside Junior Lawyers group. When they were looking round for a suitable charity to support I suggested CHICS.

“As I’m very keen on Zumba and have been an instructor for the past year and a half I came up with the idea of doing a Zumbathon on behalf of CHICS.”

Kesiena added: “The event is being hosted by Merseyside Juniors Lawyers and sponsored by my law firm, Hampson Hughes Solicitors.

“About 20 instructors from across Merseyside and the Wirral, including Sarah, have agreed to help on the day, so it should be a fantastic occasion.

“I’ve set a fundraising target of £3,000 for the event but if we could get even more than that it would be marvellous.”

To support the Zumbathon event go to Kesiena’s charity page at: http://www.justgiving.com/MJLDsupportschics

Paul Hampson and John Hughes, Joint Managing Directors of Hampson Hughes Solicitors, travelled to London recently to meet the wife of Prime Minister, David Cameron.

They were invited to a private reception with Samantha Cameron at Number 10 Downing Street along with representatives of national children’s charity, Caudwell Children.

This follows the duo’s decision to fund the charity’s new Merseyside and North West Family Support Service, which provides practical and emotional support to families caring for disabled children across the region.

Paul Hampson said: “Having represented families with children that have suffered life-changing and debilitating injuries, we know only too well the unique challenges they face.”

The firm has also recently launched a charitable foundation to support Positive Futures, Alder Hey Children’s Charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young and the Children’s Cancer Support Group during 2014.

The chosen charities were put forward and voted on by staff and the trustees. The money raised will be divided between them with specific fundraising activities arranged in partnership with each of the charities.

Paul Hampson added: “Over the years staff from Hampson Hughes Solicitors have raised tens of thousands of pounds for local charities. This was a fantastic achievement and something we really wanted to build on in 2014.”

Families caring for disabled children across Merseyside are being invited to attend the launch of a ground-breaking support service later this month.

National children’s charity, Caudwell Children, has partnered with local law firm, Hampson Hughes Solicitors, to launch the Merseyside Family Support Service and provide practical and emotional support for the thousands of families caring for disabled children across the region.

Thanks to funding from the law firm, Merseyside will have a dedicated team of Family Support Co-ordinators and trained volunteers to provide one-to-one support for families at times of crisis.

The Head of Catastrophic Injury at Hampson Hughes Solicitors, commented: “Caudwell Children provide vital support to families of disabled children across the whole UK but up until now there wasn’t a dedicated team to help people in Merseyside. Having represented families with children that have suffered life changing and debilitating injuries we know only too well the unique challenges they face. We’re therefore delighted to be able to fund this important initiative that will provide crucial support when it’s most needed.”

The innovative support service operates across the UK and provides a high quality service to families with disabled children who are experiencing family difficulties or require additional support to prevent feelings of isolation, stress and frustration that can lead to family breakdown.

Steve Jackson, Family Services Manager at Caudwell Children, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Hampson Hughes Solicitors to provide vital early intervention services and urge families from across the region to come along to the launch or get in touch to find out more.”

“We also need dedicated volunteers to help support the service and would invite anyone with an interest in helping disabled children or gaining valuable experience in a practical family support role to come along for a chat.”

The launch takes place at the Hampson Hughes Solicitors offices at the Edward Pavilion, Albert Dock on Wednesday 19th February from 11am to 2pm.

Caudwell Children is a national charity providing practical and emotional support for disabled children and their families living in the UK. Founded in 2000, the charity has provided services worth over £25million and supported thousands of children with over 500 different medical conditions.

Liverpool-based personal injury specialists, Hampson Hughes Solicitors, is a proud supporter of several local and national UK charities in particular those that offer a better quality of life to individuals suffering the long term effects of an accident or injury.

For more information about the Family Support Service visit the Caudwell Children website at www.caudwellchildren.com or call Freephone 0845 300 1348.