From drinks to donations: Neath law firm harnesses Beaujolais Day as a force for good

Beaujolais Day is one of Swansea’s most fun and lively days of the year – but it can also be an opportunity to help people in need.

Willis Legal Services, a Neath-based team of costs lawyers, raised £300 at its annual Beaujolais Day lunch at the Hanson at the Chealsea Café restaurant in Swansea. The money was spent on food donations for the food bank in Orchard Place, Neath.

The law firm’s annual Beaujolais event was attended by around 30 local solicitors, and they all rallied round to donate funds.

As winter closes in, it’s more important than ever to ensure that people who have fallen on hard times have the support they need.

Neath Food Bank was founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the local area. It is part of The Trussell Trust’s network of 428 foodbanks, working to tackle food poverty and hunger in local communities across the UK.

The Foodbank Network was founded in 2004 after four years of developing the original foodbank based in Salisbury. Since then The Trussell Trust has helped communities work together to launch foodbanks nationwide.

In 2018/19, The Trussell Trust’s Foodbank Network provided 1,583,668 three-day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis. Of these, 577,618 went to children.

The network wants to see more people helped out of crisis and fewer people needing foodbanks in the future.

David Willis, director of Willis Legal Services, said:

“It was hugely rewarding to turn an enjoyable Beaujolais Day into a chance to provide support for vulnerable people in our local area. I was delighted with the amount donated at the event and would like to thank our guests for their donations.

“Each year we use Beaujolais Day as a chance to raise money for a charity. In previous years we have raised money for Headway, a brain injury charity; Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice; the MS Society; and The Roots Foundation Wales, which supports young people in care and care leavers.

“The Neath Food Bank is providing a service that, sadly, is proving to be essential for many people in need. We were pleased to be able to help support its excellent work.”