News: Law firm rises to charity challenge

Local law firm Malcolm C Foy & Co has been working hard to support a cause close to its hearts – our local hospices.

In June, the solicitors which has offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, ran a "Make a Will Month" event, where clients were asked to donate to Rotherham Hospice rather than pay the normal will writing charge, and raised £1,500 for the hospice.

The only adult hospice in Rotherham for the people of Rotherham, Rotherham Hospice is an independent charity and must raise significant sums of money each year in order to pay for the quality care provided free of charge to patients, their families and carers.

Clare Outram, Wills & Probate executive at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "We were delighted to support Rotherham Hospice with our Make a Will Month this year. We know from direct experience and from feedback from our clients that Rotherham Hospice do absolutely fantastic work for families' at the most difficult times of their lives. Rotherham Hospice need to raise around £2.2m per year through fundraising to continue providing their services, so we were only too happy to do what we could to offer our support."

Malcolm C Foy & Co have also been participating in the Master Cutler's Challenge, which ran from February to September and aimed to raise as much money as possible to support to vital work of Rotherham Hospice and St Luke’s Hospice Sheffield. Malcolm C Foy raised a total of £3,843 through various events, including a 5k charity run, quiz night, Will donation week, dress down days, book sales and more.

Rotherham Hospice enlisted Malcolm C Foy & Co as one of the companies who would support their fundraising as part of the Master Cutler's challenge, and the company set to work. The Master Cutler's Challenge was launched in 2008, when the Master Cutler for that year, Gordon Bridge from AESSEAL in Rotherham, invited companies to transform a £50 investment into as much charity fundraising as possible. Every year has seen the event grow – more than 500 companies have taken part to date, raising in excess of £1m for a range of charities.

Sarah Hartley, solicitor and director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "When Rotherham Hospice asked us to support them through the Master Cutler's Challenge we had no reservations, but I didn't appreciate how much taking part would benefit us as a company and team. Coming together as colleagues in support of Rotherham and St Luke's Hospices has been really valuable to us as a company, and clients have been more than happy to donate and have been really supportive and proud of what we have been doing, which is great for business long term. We have had so much fun taking part in all the fundraising events, and will definitely do it again."

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News: Local legal firm in charity challenge

Where there's a will, there's a way to support Rotherham Hospice, thanks to a month long initiative at local solicitors, Malcolm C Foy & Co.

The only adult hospice in Rotherham for the people of Rotherham, Rotherham Hospice is an independent charity and must raise significant sums of money each year in order to pay for the quality care provided free of charge to patients, their families and carers. The charity needs £5m a year with £2.2m needed to be raised each year through voluntary support.

With offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, Malcolm C Foy & Co are offering a 50% discount on Wills between May 23-27. After that, throughout the whole of June, the firm will draw up a professionally drafted Will for you, and will ask only for a donation to Rotherham Hospice in return.

It is estimated that 30 million adults in the UK who do not have a will so the solicitors are calling on them to bite the bullet and get their affairs in order, and at the same time support the brilliant work of the hospice.

Sarah Hartley, director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "We are really proud to be supporting Rotherham Hospice this year by taking part in the Make A Will Month. Rotherham Hospice needs to raise £5m every year to continue running and providing critical support at the time it is needed most, and I am confident that the people of Rotherham will come out in force to support their local hospice."

Suggested donation amounts are £90 for a single Will and £160 for joint / mirror Wills, Malcolm C Foy & Co provide you with a receipt, and send your whole donation to Rotherham Hospice.

The solicitors are taking part in the Master Cutler's Challenge 2016 which sees local firms take a £50 investment and do everything in their power to see it grown and raise money for Master Cutler Craig McKay's two nominated charities, St Luke's Hospice in Sheffield and Rotherham Hospice.

As part of the challenge, the MCF team recently took part in the 2016 Rother Valley Colour Run.

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News: Spend Small Business Saturday in Rotherham

This Saturday, December 5 is Small Business Saturday.

Launching in the UK in 2013, Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-political, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to support them in their communities, both on the Saturday and beyond.

The concept is based on the initiative that already exists in America. In the US, Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving celebrations, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Conceived and promoted by American Express, Small Business Saturday complements "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" which focus largely on big box and online retailers.

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As part of Small Business Saturday, the award winning RiDO business advisors, Bob Langley and Martyn Benson, are holding a drop-in session – 9.30 to 3.30 – at 34 High Street in Rotherham town centre. The session is for people considering starting a business or existing local small businesses.

At the same time, local legal firm, Malcolm C Foy Solicitors is holding a free legal drop-in, aimed at the same people, at their office on Bridgegate. They will have multi-lingual staff in attendance. The expert advice should help with business structures, commercial agreements and leases, policies, regulations, employment law and intellectual property.

For existing town centre businesses there will also be a gift wrapping service on offer to Christmas shoppers by the RiDO team in Howard Street, next to Superdrug.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) research shows that spending with local businesses gives an extra boost to local economies compared to spending with their larger counterparts. For every £1 spent by a local authority with a small or medium-sized business, 63p is then spent elsewhere in the local area, backing jobs and growth - compared to just 40p in every £1 spent with a larger business. This emphasises the enormous benefit of keeping trade local, and hopefully encourages more people to start looking at ways of supporting the diverse and innovative small businesses in their community.

The FSB is the UK's largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms, representing around 200,000 small businesses.

Gordon Millward, regional chairman for the FSB, said: "Last year 16.5 million people turned out to support a local small business on Small Business Saturday, generating an impressive £504m for small firms in just one day. This year, we are again encouraging everyone to back small firms throughout the economy, not just in retail, to make the day bigger and better than ever. With 5.4 million small businesses in the UK, there has never been a better time to celebrate their contribution to their communities."

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News: Rotherham businesses raising money for charity

Rotherham-based data destruction and WEEE recycling solutions company, S2S Group is one of a number of teams from the local business sector donning ridiculous outfits to compete in a "It's a Knockout" charity event in aid of Bluebell Wood.

The event is taking place at Dinnington Rugby Club this weekend and is set to be full of fun and games. The S2S squad, which includes a cross section of employees, from directors and members of the operations team and warehouse staff, will be scaling giant inflatables and batting mountains of foam all in a good cause.

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice is based in North Anston and offers care and support to children with a shortened life expectancy, both in their own homes and at our hospice itself. The hospice costs approximately three million pounds every year to offer this essential support and with less than 10% statutory government funding, the hospice relies heavily on the support of donations from events like the It's a Knockout event.

Emma Moorhouse, marketing executive at S2S said: "It's going to be a lot of fun but most importantly we want to lend our support to Bluebell Wood. The work that they do to support children and young adults with a shortened life expectancy is inspiring and anything we can do to help is a bonus. We are looking forward to the event and I am sure it will reveal a competitive side to a few of our team members!"

S2S JustGiving page

Members of staff from both the Doncaster and Rotherham offices of law firm, Malcolm C Foy & Co recently participated in Sandal Beat Wood 10k race to raise money for charity. The chosen charity was the Child Brain Injury Trust, who provide support for children, and their families, who have acquired a brain injury. The charity was nominated by Dan Carr who has previously worked closely with the charity through his personal injury work and all the staff agreed it was a worthwhile cause.

All the hard work training for the race and collecting donations paid off as all 14 members of staff finished the race in commendable times and a total of £2,200 was raised for the great charity. Dan Carr, the oldest member of staff racing, has been picked out for special praise as he managed to hold off competition to finish first of the MCF racers, as has Donna Moore, for raising £630.

Malcolm C Foy & Co JustGiving page

Rotherham-based IT entrepreneur Colin O'Donnell, who runs Mozit IT in Parkgate, successfully completed the "Banger Rally Adventure," crossing Europe in a car that cost just £300. Not only that, he and co-driver Richard Hessey from ASC Metals, a friend from university, made the long journey back to Rotherham!

The 1994 Toyota Celica, nicknamed "The Lizard King," set off from Belgium and took in Freiburg and then Lake Como, before ending in Monte Carlo - a five day rally across Europe covering 2,070 miles, crossing five countries.

The firm received generous support from businesses in Rotherham and Sheffield and is closing in on a £3,000 target for the local branch of the National Autistic Society (NAS).

Colin O'Donnell, managing director at Mozit IT, said: "We realised the true challenge was actually getting home with the car and this was the "winning."

"Some teams opted for the sensible idea of ditching the banger car and hopping onto a plane. That would have been too sensible for me and Rich. We were determined to bring The Lizard King home to Rotherham. Covering 900 miles in two days, it was one of the most gruelling tiring drives ever, but seeing the J33 M1 turn off brought a smile to my face.

"I cannot thank my clients, friends and family enough for the support."

Look out for The Lizard King driving the streets of Rotherham, proudly adorned with sponsors logos.

Mozit IT JustGiving page

S2S Group website
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News: SRA closes down Rotherham solicitors

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which regulates more than 130,000 solicitors in England and Wales, has stepped in and closed down the operations of-125-year-old Rotherham solicitors, Gichard & Co.


The SRA is the independent regulatory body of the Law Society and regulates the conduct of solicitors and law firms to protect consumers and to support the rule of law and the administration of justice. A panel at the authority agreed that the Doncaster Gate legal firm had failed to comply with the rules made by the SRA by virtue of section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985.

The panel also investigated Charles Rhodes, senior partner at Gichard & Co and found that "there was reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Mr Rhodes." As with Mr Rhodes, a decision on Jeremy Copestake, a solicitor at Gichard & Co, determined that he had failed to comply with the rules made by virtue of section 31 and 32 of the Solicitors Act 1974, which relates to practising certificates required by solicitors on the roll and working in private practice.

The findings meant that the SRA had grounds to intervene to protect the interests of clients and the decision was made to close the firm. John Owen of Gordons LLP in Bradford has been appointed as the intervening agent.

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The intervention means that Gichard & Co can no longer act for its clients and the SRA has taken all documents and papers that relate to its clients, including files and accounting records. The same goes for all money held by the firm, including its clients' money.

Leading Rotherham firm Malcolm C Foy & Co has acted quickly to offer support and help for previous Gichard clients. Conveyancing specialists or private client team members can obtain the files and take conduct over the case. A spokesperson at Malcolm C Foy & Co said: "We will guide you through the next steps ensuring your file is progressed and that the closure of Gichard & Co has no detrimental effect to your case."

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News: Valentine's message from Malcolm C Foy & Co

Whilst there maybe a million and one things to do when organising a wedding, local law firm, Malcolm C Foy & Co, is reminding loved-up couples of another important task to add to the list - updating your wills.

With offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, the solicitors believe that many people are not aware that getting married automatically invalidates your will.


The experts can also call on research from the Law Society that found that 30 million UK adults still do not have a will in the first place and say that whilst love is in the air, those without a will should make legally drafting their final wishes a priority or risk leaving a painful legacy for loved ones.

Sarah Hartley, director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "Valentine's Day may be the most romantic day of the year, but we urge couples to come down from the clouds for a minute and focus on the practical matters. Ensuring your final wishes are made clear and legally recognised is the most romantic gesture you can offer your loved one."

Throughout February, Malcolm C Foy & Co is joining with other local solicitors and taking part in Bluebell Wood's Make A Will Scheme. This means that you can have your will professionally drawn up for the cost of £75 for a single will, or £120 for mirror wills, and Malcolm C Foy & Co will donate the whole fee paid by you to Bluebell Wood.

The firm was the first in South Yorkshire to become a member of the Law Society's Wills & Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS), which provides a best practice quality mark for wills and estate administration advice that consumers can trust.

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News: Solicitors support hospice Make A Will Scheme

Where there's a will, there's a way to support Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, thanks to a month long initiative at local solicitors, Malcolm C Foy & Co.

Based at North Anston in Rotherham, Bluebell Wood provides care and support to families who have a child who has a life limiting condition and is not expected to live into adulthood. It has to raise over £3m each year to continue its work, and receives less than 5% statutory funding.

Throughout February, Malcolm C Foy & Co, with offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, is joining with other local solicitors and taking part in Bluebell Wood's Make A Will Scheme. This means that you can have your will professionally drawn up for the cost of £75 for a single will, or £120 for mirror wills, and Malcolm C Foy & Co will donate the whole fee paid by you to Bluebell Wood.

It is estimated that 30 million adults in the UK who do not have a will so the solicitors are calling on them to bite the bullet and get their affairs in order, and at the same time support the brilliant work of Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.

Sarah Hartley, director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "We are really proud to be supporting Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice again this year by taking part in the Make A Will Scheme. Ensuring your final wishes are made clear and legally recognised is the best gift for your family, and if you can do some good for a fantastic charity at the same time then your really can't lose."

Malcolm C Foy & Co is a member of the Law Society's Wills & Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS), which provides a best practice quality mark for wills and estate administration advice that consumers can trust.

Malcolm C Foy & Co website
Bluebell Wood website

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News: Malcolm C Foy and the season of good wills

A will drafted by a solicitor is the best Christmas gift for your loved ones, according to local law firm Malcolm C Foy & Co.

With offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, Malcolm C Foy & Co is using the festive season to call on the estimated 30 million adults in the UK who do not have a will to put legally drafting their final wishes at the top of the to-do list this Christmas.


Malcolm C Foy & Co is a member of the Law Society's Wills & Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS), which  provides a best practice quality mark for wills and estate administration advice that consumers can trust.

The firm is also reminding co-habiting couples who are not married or in a civil partnership, that they have the most to lose if they die without a will. Government statistics point to more than one million unmarried couples with dependent children living in the UK and recent changes to the rules around who inherits what have strengthened the position of married spouses and civil partners, but left the position of cohabiting couples unchanged. Only partners who are married or in a civil partnership can inherit under these intestacy rules.

Sarah Hartley, director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "For many people, the festive season is all about spending time with loved ones so we urge people to reflect on that this Christmas and think how they would feel if you died and they received nothing.

"No one likes to think too carefully about their own demise, but ensuring your final wishes are made clear and legally recognised is the best gift for your family this Christmas.

"You can return those awful socks and loud jumper to the shop and get a refund, but there's no going back if you die without a will."

Malcolm C Foy & Co website

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