We have announced our support for three local charities after donating almost £15,000 collectively for community causes last year.
Every year, a charity is chosen at each of our three offices in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. The decision is made by our employees who then support and fundraise over the next 12 months.
Derby
This year, employees in our Derby city centre office have selected The Ben Parker Trust Fund ‘Ben’s Den’ – a dedicated children’s charity based in Ilkeston and set up in memory of Ben Parker, who sadly passed away in 2003 following a battle with leukaemia.
The charity aims to support the families of children fighting leukaemia or cancer, by gifting them a free holiday and allowing them to spend much-needed, quality family time together away from the overwhelming hospital environment.
Tracey Parker, Ben’s mum and trustee of Ben’s Den, said:
“Throughout Ben’s illness, we as parents witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by families dealing with childhood cancer, particularly the emotional and financial strain, as well as the need for quality family time away from hospital environments. We recognised the importance of providing families with the opportunity to create lasting memories together during such difficult times.
“Motivated by our own experiences and Ben’s memory, we established Ben’s Den in March 2004 to support other families in similar situations by offering them free caravan holidays. “Through successful fundraising efforts, Ben’s Den now operates seven caravans, including one fully adapted for wheelchair access. The caravans are all located at Golden Sands in Mablethorpe and Tattershall Lakes near Sleaford.
“Since inception, we have provided over 1500 families with much-needed breaks, partnering with organisations such as Young Lives versus Cancer to ensure families can enjoy these respites without financial burden. The support from Nelsons will help us to ensure we are able to keep providing these much-needed respite breaks and vital quality time together as families, for which we are extremely grateful.”
Leicester
In our Leicester office, our employees will be supporting Leicester Hospitals Charity, an organisation which supports patients, their carers and NHS staff in Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and beyond.
Through targeted fundraising campaigns and effective management of donations, the charity is able to provide additional resources, assets and skills to link in with the strategic aims of hospitals such as Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General and Glenfield hospitals.
Sunita Patel, head of charity at Leicester Hospitals Charity, said:
“We are incredibly proud and grateful that the employees at Nelsons have selected us as its charity partner of the year. Collaborations with local businesses are vital to us as a community-focused charity. We look forward to working in partnership with Nelsons to make great things happen for our patients and staff, supporting the delivery of high-quality care for all across Leicester’s Hospitals over the next twelve months.”
Nottingham
Employees in our Nottingham city centre office have selected Headway Nottingham – the sole service provider for brain injury survivors in the city without a time limit and for as long as each person needs them.
The organisation addresses the physical, emotional, behavioural, educational, social and cognitive changes that individuals may experience following a brain injury.
To kickstart fundraising, we organised a ‘Robin to Batman’ charity walk in September, covering the Robin Hood Way from Nottingham Castle to Wollaton Hall and back again – around 16 miles in total.
Charlotte Leask, services manager at Headway Nottingham, said:
“The team at Headway Nottingham are delighted to have been chosen as Nelsons’ Nottingham charity of the year. Nelsons have been long-time supporters of our work and will doubtlessly make a tremendous difference to local lives affected by brain injury with their fundraising efforts over the coming year.
“Shockingly, brain injury-related hospital admissions remain more frequent than cancer diagnoses in the UK, with someone admitted every 90 seconds, and for many, these injuries will result in life-long, complex disabilities. With fundraising support from the compassionate team at Nelsons, we are looking forward to facilitating more life-changing outcomes for our clients and for those who will rely on us in the future.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve and live as independently as possible, without feeling defined solely by disability. We’re incredibly grateful to Nelsons for their generosity and determination to bolster our work and make life easier and safer for the Nottingham brain injury community.”
Our Chief Executive, Stewart Vandermark , said:
“Giving back and supporting our communities has always been a priority at Nelsons, and while the firm has grown and there have been some exciting changes to the business, this has remained at our core. The initiative is very much about supporting causes that are important to our employees, and as such it is a highlight each year when we get to announce the new charities and our previous results.”
Last year’s beneficiaries were The Nightingale Macmillan Unit (Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity) in Derby, Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project (LAMP) in Leicester and Hayward House Hospice in Nottingham.