Member Article

Law chief’s legacy delivers £11,000 boost to charity

A Black Country charity that helps children and young people with physical disabilities has been given a major boost by QualitySolicitors Talbots.

Founder Chris Westwood visited the law firm’s Stourbridge office this week to receive a £11,000 cheque for the Chris Westwood Charity for Children with Physical Disabilities, which will be used to purchase special exercise equipment, walkers and standing frames for individuals looking to regain or maintain mobility.

The money was the direct result of donations received following the funeral of Martyn Morgan earlier this month and takes the popular lawyer’s commitment to the charity to £70,000.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of friends, family and colleagues and it is comforting to know that some good will come from such a tragic event,” explained Mary Mocklow, Director at QualitySolicitors Talbots.

“Martyn was a founding trustee and a passionate supporter of the Chris Westwood Charity for Children with Physical Disabilities and spent the last twelve years raising funds through sporting challenges and holding business events.”

She continued: “I know he would have been proud to have been responsible for one final contribution that has the potential to help young people enjoy a better standard of life.”

The Chris Westwood Charity for Children with Physical Disabilities has raised and granted in excess of £350,000 since it was established in 2003.

This has helped over 320 individuals and schools across Stourbridge and surrounding areas to purchase essential mobility equipment that they would not normally get through local authority-backed schemes.

Special exercise tricycles, car support seats, a vision magnifier and a safe sleeping system have all been purchased in the last year, with grants normally assessed, awarded and completed within 48-hours.

“I first met Martyn when he provided conveyancing on my late mother’s house. At the same time I was looking to set up a Charity and he agreed to help me with the legal framework,” commented Chris Westwood

“We got on really well, so I invited him to be one of four Trustees. From that moment, he played a massive part in our growth, using his contacts and charm to help us raise funds and spread our reputation.”

He concluded: “Martyn was a great ambassador and promoter of our charity and his legacy will live on through the work that we do. This latest £11,000 donation will go a long way to making sure we deliver more grants than ever before in 2016.”

QualitySolicitors Talbots, which offers property, business services, family and trusts and estates law from its seven offices across the Black Country and Worcestershire, has pledged its commitment to the Chris Westwood Charity for Children with Physical Disabilities.

The company is already planning a memorial dinner in December as its main fundraising event of 2016.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .