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

2022
8 May
8 May

We were delighted to sponsor the ‘Bill Hughes Memorial’ Rayleigh 10k cross country run, on Sunday 8 May. Joining hundreds of other runners were Palmers colleagues Lee McClellan, Samantha Randall, and Rachel Harrison. They were ably supported by our colleagues Adam Davis and Helen Jago, who assisted with registration, cheered on runners as they crossed the finish line and handed out medals. To all who took part and raised money for the local Rotary Club’s charities – a huge well done!

21 April
21 April

Director Adam Davis, who heads Palmers Solicitors’ Rayleigh office, was surprised and delighted to be honoured by the local council when he was awarded a Special Certificate in recognition of the support he gives to the town in organising events and local competitions for the community. Our firm sponsors the town’s Christmas lights and Adam is a working member of Rayleigh Trinity Fair.

28 February
28 February

We were delighted to again sponsor an award at the Rayleigh Air Cadets Mess Night. Congratulations to Corporal George Squirrell who was presented with the Palmers Solicitors Prize for Achievement.

2021
22 December
22 December

We invited youngsters from Treetops School, in Grays, to design Christmas cards for our firm. We were overwhelmed with the high standard of entries with first prize awarded to AJ in Zog class.

20 December
20 December

We once again teamed up with the three schools in the South Essex Alliance Multi-Academy Trust – Rayleigh Primary School, North Crescent Primary School and Wyburns Primary School. Aspiring poets from years one to six at each school were invited to pen Christmas-themed verses, with prizes on offer for the top three in each of years one and two, three and four, and five and six at each school. In total, we rewarded the efforts of 27 children.

17 December
17 December

The festive spirit was in evidence at our four offices when our staff were asked to wear ‘anything festive’ in aid of our official charity, the Polly Parrot appeal. In addition to traditional Christmas jumpers, our colleagues donned Christmas headgear including reindeer antlers and even onesies! In total, we raised £294 for this worthy local cause.

18 October 2021
18 October 2021

On Monday 18th October 2021 a Palmers Solicitors team will be taking part in the 10K London Legal Walk, raising money for The London Legal Support Trust – an independent charity that raises funds for free legal services in London and the South East. You can support us by donating here .

2020
11 December 2020
11 December 2020

All four Palmers Solicitors offices participated in Christmas Anything Day where we wore any type of Christmas attire and held a raffle in aid of Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal. We are delighted to have raised over £300!

23 October 2020
23 October 2020

We are proud to continue our corporate sponsorship of Essex Wildlife Trust – the county’s leading conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature. Particularly during these difficult times, access to outdoor exercise and open spaces are important for us all and the Trust’s nature reserves and discovery parks across the county continue to provide a peaceful retreat and an opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment of the great outdoors.

5 April 2020
5 April 2020

We are proud to be sponsoring the Rayleigh Rotary 10k run again this year. All profits raised will go to rotary supported charities.

28 February
28 February

We were delighted to provide the prize for the Cadets Award at the 1476 (Rayleigh) Air Cadets Squadron Dinner.

30 January 2020
30 January 2020

We are delighted to have raised £170 for Macmillan Cancer Support at our Property and Construction Seminar.

2019
December 2019
December 2019

We were delighted to sponsor the Rayleigh Best Festive Display the year, in association with Rayleigh Town Council.

13 December
13 December

The Palmers Solicitors team fully embraced our ‘Christmas Anything Day’ in aid of Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal! All four offices took part raising an incredible £392.30.

12 December
12 December

We hosted our annual Christmas Carol Concert in aid of the Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Charity Polly Parrot Appeal & Rayleigh Town Museum, raising a wonderful £432.

December 10
December 10

We are pleased to have been able to once again hold our Christmas card competition with Treetops School in Grays. Director, Lee McClellan, presented the children with their prizes, and all of the winners featured in our Christmas e-card.

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.