Ellis Jones gets food bank campaign off to a flying start

Generous staff at a South Coast law firm have dug deep to help put food on the tables of some of the area’s neediest residents.

Ellis Jones Solicitors has become the first member firm to take part in a year-long campaign by the Bournemouth and District Junior Lawyers Division (JLD).

Its four offices in Dorset and Hampshire have donated a bumper bundle of food to the Bournemouth and Poole food banks.

Eight other JLD member firms will now take it in turns to collect food and other items each month between now and December.

The aim is to ensure the food banks receive a steady flow of donations throughout 2014 rather than the customary surges at Christmas and harvest time.

Clare Lawson, Chairman of Bournemouth & District JLD, said: “Ellis Jones has got the campaign off to a flying start.

“They’ve been collecting donations in their offices during January. All four offices have been involved and we’ve been really impressed with the number of staff donating items.

“The baton now passes to our next member firm, Kiteleys Solicitors. They’ll collect food during February before handing over to Dickinson Manser,” added Clare, a solicitor in Ellis Jones’ private client department.

Last year the Bournemouth Foodbank helped 6,600 people in need after receiving more than 19 tonnes of food products from the public.

Nigel Smith, Ellis Jones’ Managing Partner, said: “As always, the team at Ellis Jones pulled out all the stops and got this excellent campaign by Bournemouth & District JLD off to the best of starts. My thanks to everyone who donated to this worthy cause.”