A charitable fund set up by local law firm Muckle LLP over two decades ago has surpassed £700,000 in grants, with donations benefiting several North East charities.
The Muckle Fund, run in association with the Community Foundation, was set up in 2002 as a way for Muckle to give back to people, communities and good causes across the North of England.
Since then, it has awarded 737 grants totalling £713,679 to charities, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations across the North East.
Muckle gives 1% of its annual profits to the fund, which supports charities and organisations that help young people, tackle disadvantage, improve social mobility, and champion causes close to the hearts of Muckle and its people.
The Country Trust is one of those charities, receiving £9,100 in grants to help fund trips for North East children from disadvantaged backgrounds to farms.
The charity targets its support children, who, through circumstance, face greater barriers to accessing green space and healthy food and experience higher rates of obesity and physical and mental health issues.
Sue Thompson, Farm Discovery Coordinator at The Country Trust, said: “The Country Trust has developed a great relationship with Muckle; it’s not only the financial support that is so important, but the enthusiasm of the wider team, many of whom use their volunteering days to don a pair of wellies and come out on the farms to help the Country Trust visits, providing additional help for the hundreds of disadvantaged primary school children we work with.
“We are also indebted to the ambassadorship of so many at Muckle, who have introduced us to other valuable supporters and championed our cause with professional partners and clients alike.”
Two grants totalling £8,000 have been awarded to Bedlington-based all-girls’ classroom provision charity Choysez. The charity works with young women throughout Northumberland aged 9-16 years old with individually designed programmes to help gain nationally recognised qualifications and boost their self-esteem.
Chris Conroy, Centre Manager, Choysez, said: “Choysez works with some of the most vulnerable young women in Northumberland. The care and support we can give relies upon regular donations such as the grant from Muckle.
“A regular donation allows us to plan so much further ahead and ensures we get extra value from the donation and more support for those who need it. This allows us to stretch every pound from the donation and is very much appreciated.”
In 2023 Muckle became the first law firm in the North East to be awarded a B Corporation® certificate, joining a global community of organisations using business as a force of good.
Hugh said: “Since the fund was set up over 20 years ago, we have worked closely with numerous charities and organisations.
“They all provide vital and valuable services across the region, and we are proud to support their incredible work.
“We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Community Fund two years ago. Since then, we have continued to reach new milestones, expanding our efforts and deepening our partnerships with charities and organisations that make a real difference.
“As a firm, we remain dedicated to supporting their missions and making a positive impact on the community around us.”
Muckle has recently published its annual B Corp report, detailing the work it has carried out to promote social causes in the community over the last 12 months muckle-llp_b-corp-report-2024.pdf.