BLS raise £5716.15 for Freewheelers Charity in 2018/19

Posted on01 March 2019

Immediate Past President, Gary Lightwood, presented Richard Reeves with a cheque for £3716.15 in addition to the £2000 already received through the auction of a bespoke Mulberry handbag at the Annual Awards Dinner in October 2018 making a grand total of £5716.15 raised by BLS members during 2018.

BLS has now received the following letter from the Charity to our members.

Dear BLS Members

I am writing to say a big thank you for all the support you gave to our Charity during the year and the generosity of all your members, I would also like to thank you all for making me feel so welcome at the different events I have attended.

You raised the sum of £3716.15 which is a brilliant amount plus the £2000 for the Mulberry Handbag auction which was a fantastic result, so in total this is £5716.15.

This amount for instance will take our bikes about 50,000 miles or pay for two thirds of our insurance bill so as you can see it is a great help, given we now do over 184,000 miles a year.

Also we have gained potentially 2 new members who will be most welcome to join us and I am sure they would enjoy it

We are now working with the Great Western Air Ambulance and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance so our first job every day is to supply them with whole blood & platelets for transfusion at the side of the road when they are called out, which so far has saved many life’s we have been told by them.We have worked out this will cost us an extra 15 thousand pounds a year on top of our normal running costs, so the support from your members is greatly appreciated by us all at Freewheelers.

Once again big thanks to all and please do continue to support the Charity when you can.

Yours Sincerely

Richard Reeves.
Rider & Fundraising Manager.

Burges Salmon has been an enthusiastic supporter of BLS for many years. BLS provides a valuable role in uniting and promoting the whole of the legal sector across Bristol to benefit both its members and the city. It facilitates collaboration across the sector to ensure that we can all make a difference. Whether that is driving important initiatives in, for example, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the use of new technologies, liaising with stakeholders and charities in our wider community or providing training to generations of lawyers, the service and support provided by BLS is invaluable. More recently BLS has taken a lead on promoting Bristol’s legal brand, encouraging legal and business services talent to come to the city, which in turn attracts clients and inward investment to our thriving and vibrant commercial community. BLS breaks down barriers and brings those in the profession together for the greater good. We are proud of our long-standing association with BLS.
Roger Bull - Managing Partner, Burges Salmon
Three things to say about my experience of working with Bristol Law Society. Their central team, council members and general hangers-on are just about the nicest, most generous group of people working in the legal sector today. The numerous events, awards, socials and conferences I’ve had the pleasure to attend over the years have been, without exception, top quality and supremely organised. And, thirdly, they consistently exceed and challenge the boundaries of what lawyers might assume a regional Law Society will restrict activities to – from a hugely successful charitable school meals drive to corporate social responsibility and diversity campaigns to being joint architects and coordinators of the region’s unique Bristol+BathLegalTech group, which it has been my privilege to co-chair for the last five years.
Chris Bull - Principal, Edge International
As one of the leading Insurance brokers for law firms in the UK and with a large presence in Bristol it seemed only natural for us to support the Bristol Law Society. Bristol Law Society is one of the oldest and most vibrant of the Law Societies in England and Wales. We are pleased to be working with them on important matters relating to law firms’ liability insurances and Risk Management. From Sole Practitioner to Top 20 law firms we are sure our two organisations can provide excellent support and assistance for the challenges faced by the legal profession.
Matthew Baker - Financial Lines Group, Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd
Joining BLS in 2013 and becoming President in 2018/19 has created many longstanding friendships and business relationships, whilst also unlocking doors to other opportunities in the City. BLS enabled a perfect balance of professional development and also opportunities to give back to the legal and wider community. I am pleased that my Firm has supported BLS in many capacities since 2013 and continues to do so.
Nicholas Lee- Managing Director of Paragon Costs Solutions and Past President of BLS