Charity help by the bagful

May 19 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

NORTH-EAST legal eagles have been busy filling charity bags to raise thousands of pounds of a good cause.

Staff from law firm Dickinson Dees’ offices in Tees Valley, Newcastle and York have raised more than £2,300 for St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle.

They filled more than 100 charity bags full of clothes and bric-a-brac, which will now be sold at St Oswald’s charity shops across the region.

Robin Bloom, senior partner of Dickinson Dees in Newcastle, said: “To raise more than £2,300 is a tremendous effort and the response was overwhelming.

“The money raised will make a real difference and everyone who contributed should be proud of themselves.”

Anita Irving, community fundraising manager for St Oswald’s, said: “We are extremely grateful to Dickinson Dees for taking the time and trouble to give us their old clothes and other useful, saleable items.

“Our retail staff have valued the contents of the 101 bags at £2,309, which is a fantastic result.”

Following a holistic approach that aims to address not just physical symptoms but also spiritual and emotional needs too, St Oswald’s provides hospice care for both adults and children with life-limiting conditions.

The annual running costs exceed £7m - of which £5m must be raised through voluntary giving.