Law firm announces backing for children’s holiday charity

Nelsons Derby office has announced it will be raising money over the next year for a charity that provides holidays to children with cancer.

Each year, a charity is chosen at each of the law firm’s three offices in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.

The decision is made by employees who then support and fundraise over the next 12 months.

This year, employees at Nelsons’ Sterne House office in Derby city centre have selected The Ben Parker Trust Fund ‘Ben’s Den’ – a dedicated children’s charity based in Ilkeston.

It was set up in memory of Ben Parker, who sadly passed away in 2003 following a battle with leukaemia.

The aim of the charity is 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.

Stewart Vandermark, chief executive at Nelsons, said: “Giving back and supporting our communities has always been a priority at Nelsons.

“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 reflect on what we’ve achieved in the previous year.

“Ben’s Den does incredible work to support children and families impacted by cancer, allowing them quality time to spend together, and we are proud to support such an important cause.”

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.

“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.”