A Scottish law firm is donating £7k to mark its 30th anniversary.

In total, £4k will be split between three care homes in Aberdeen, Inverness, and Edinburgh as well as a hospice in Denny — all have links with the firm.

Plus, earlier in 2021, the firm donated £3k to Scottish Mountain Rescue.

Thirty challenges in 30 days

In 1991, Aberdeen law firms C&PH Chalmers and Edmonds and Ledingham merged, creating Ledingham Chalmers.

As part of marking those three decades, Ledingham Chalmers asked 30 colleagues across its offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Stirling, to volunteer in November to help raise £3k by taking part in 30 challenges over 30 days.

For each sign-up, the Ledingham Chalmers Charitable Trust pledged to donate £30, with a further £30 for successful completion. The trust also said it would top up the donation for exceptional effort.

Ultimately 56 colleagues took part in around 70 challenges meaning £4k will be split between Northcote Lodge Care Home, Aberdeen; Strathcarron Hospice, Denny; Southpark Retirement Home, Edinburgh; and Ballifeary House, Inverness.

Activities included:

  • The firm’s craft club made and sold festive wreaths, raising £500. Wreaths left over were donated to Charlie House, which supports babies, children, and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, to sell in Curated Aberdeen in the city's Bon Accord Centre
  • The Inverness office exceeded its target to provide 30kg of supplies each to Highland Foodbank and the local SSPCA
  • Twenty-one people from across different offices gave blood
  • Thirty-six climbed 30 flights of stairs
  • Other activities include 30 days of 30-minute exercise, 30 half-hour walks, 30 days refined sugar or alcohol-free, 30 acts of kindness, daily affirmations and 30 different runs over 30 days

Thirty peaks

The November efforts followed a 30 peaks challenge in July where Ledingham Chalmers donated £3k to Scottish Mountain Rescue.

The firm asked 30 colleagues to climb 30 peaks (large or small) on or around 31 July. Thirty-one took part, reaching 37 summits of 25 different hills and mountains.

The most northerly peak was the highest point on Mousa, Shetland, while others tackled the likes of Mount Keen, Clachnaben, Beinn Bhuidhe, the Chalamain Gap and Ben More.

Private client associate Dara Kinloch reached the top of the highest peak, Ben Nevis, with her brother after four-and-a-half hours.

Managing partner, Jennifer Young, said: “In what was, again, such a difficult year for so many, it’s hard to express just how grateful we are to everyone who took on a challenge — some more than one — to help these organisations that do so much for our local communities.

“Meanwhile there’s more to do. Between March 2020 and April 2021 our charitable trust donated a total of £6,000 to good causes in the communities where we operate.

“And watch this space for an update on our Christmas card donations. For every card we send we’ll donate to Social Bite, a major employer of people experiencing homelessness and extreme employment barriers, as well as Highland Foodbank, which provides emergency support to local people in crisis.”

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