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We actively engage on a broad array of community causes, with varied support for more than 60 charity or not-for-profit organisations in the last 12 months.
2025 Target |
Status |
Progress |
|---|---|---|
Complete our community impact review and amend funding approach based on latest community needs research. |
Complete |
Review completed and a new community engagement model is being introduced to streamline our approach to community engagement and better support community needs across Bristol, London, and Edinburgh. |
Agree new pro bono strategy and begin implementation. |
Ongoing |
New strategy has been drafted ready for final approval and implementation in 2026. |
Achieve at least 50% people volunteering rate. |
Requires focus |
Volunteering rate was 38% for 2024/25, mostly due to the timing of some of our larger departments’ volunteering days, which happened just after year-end. Figures in Q2 of 2025/26 suggest this figure will recover to over 50% by the end of the year. |
2026 Ambition |
Status |
Progress |
To invest at least £4 million into community funding and financial equivalents. |
Requires focus |
Since 2020/21, we have invested £2,288,000 into our local communities. |
To provide more than 25,000 volunteering and pro bono hours. |
On track |
Since 2020/21, we have completed 3,681 pro bono hours and 16,129 volunteering hours for a combined total of 19,810. |
(% of total people)
Financial equivalent of pro bono and volunteering time
Direct financial donations made by the firm
Donations made via the Burges Salmon Charitable Trust
Charitable theme donations fundraised by our people
Other in-kind support
In 2024, our Charity Committee, which coordinates our employee fundraising activity, launched our new three-year charitable theme, ‘Fairer Futures for Young People’. In the 2024/25 financial year, our people raised nearly £36,000 through fundraising efforts for charities supporting this cause. We appreciate the dedication of our Charitable Committee and everyone in the firm who contributed.
The ’25 for 25: Burges Salmon Makes a Splash’ challenge brought together over 240 people from across the firm for a non-stop 25-hour canoe relay along the River Avon and through Bristol Docks, raising an incredible £33,000 for Young Bristol – smashing our £25,000 target.
Held from 3 to 4 July, the event marked the 25th anniversary of Young Bristol’s Pooles Wharf Outdoor Activity Centre. Teams paddled day and night to raise vital funds for the centre’s future, supported by instructors and volunteers from the charity throughout. The money raised will go towards supporting Young Bristol to provide critical out-of-school services for children and young people in communities across the city.
As a longstanding supporter of The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, we proudly sponsored Gromit Unleashed 3. The trail ran from 30 June to 31 August 2025, featuring over 50 giant sculptures of Aardman characters celebrating storytelling and film.
Our sponsored sculpture, ‘Wednesday’ as Feathers McGraw, was created in collaboration with Netflix and based at Bristol Temple Meads.
Since 2013, the award-winning Gromit Unleashed and Shaun in the City trails have generated £20 million for Bristol Children’s Hospital. The Grand Appeal funds life-saving equipment, research, free family accommodation, and programmes that make the hospital a vibrant, child-friendly environment.
“Gromit Unleashed has captured the hearts of people across the UK and we're thrilled to support this year's trail, marking our ongoing partnership with The Grand Appeal and helping to raise vital funds for Bristol Children's Hospital.”
Roxanne Folke Head of Responsible Business
Each year we support local charities, CICs, and other community partners by offering in-kind meeting room space across all our office locations.
This allows many organisations to hold AGMs, awareness-raising events, training and strategy sessions, as well as community support events.
In 2024/25, we welcomed 2,250 community visitors to our offices from 60+ charities.
Our Community Engagement Policy allows all our people to use up to two days a year for volunteering. Our teams demonstrate an ongoing commitment to making a difference in our local communities, volunteering throughout the year supporting different initiatives, such as working on educational and social mobility programmes as mentors or tutors, tackling food insecurity, promoting physical and mental wellbeing, and protecting the environment and biodiversity.
During FY2024/25, we saw 39% of our people volunteering, equating to over 3,400 hours spent impacting our community profoundly. Many of our colleagues go above and beyond, volunteering on multiple occasions over the course of twelve months, further amplifying our collective impact. We’re proud of the culture of service that thrives year-round across our teams.
Pro bono remains vital to our responsible business strategy, enabling us to support charities, not-for-profits, and individuals who cannot afford legal representation. We are finalising a refreshed Pro Bono Strategy that introduces a more coordinated and impactful approach, with clearer frameworks for engagement, impact measurement, and alignment with our broader goals.
This year, we are engaging with the Pro Bono Connect Programme coordinated by LawWorks, opening new opportunities for cross-firm collaboration. Our longstanding partnerships with Citizens Advice and Bristol Law Centre continue to thrive, with our Employment team providing regular support since 2014.
“I was delighted that Burges Salmon supported me when Legal Response International (‘LRI’) invited me to manage their Situation Room for COP30. My role was to be a bridge between LRI’s team on the ground in Brazil, and the Situation Room volunteers (mostly from other top law firms) in London. The work was so engaging, because it covered so many aspects of international environmental law.”
Max Taylor Paralegal, Disputes and Resolution
This includes co-developing delivery plans, providing strategic input into tenders, and offering bespoke training
Recognising the growing importance of social mobility in public sector procurement, Burges Salmon recently delivered bespoke training for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) that explored the importance of social mobility and how organisations can play a meaningful role in addressing economic inequality.
The training combined information sharing and practical tools to help DIO teams identify opportunities to drive social mobility outcomes. It also provided a space for open dialogue on barriers, best practice, and the role of businesses in increasing social mobility.
That’s why we work in partnership with VCSE organisations to understand local priorities and design initiatives that respond to real needs.
Through strategic collaborations, we help bridge the gap between corporate resources and community aspirations, supporting inclusive growth, resilience, and long-term impact.
In 2025, Burges Salmon deepened its commitment to community engagement through a strategic partnership with Voscur, Bristol’s leading support organisation for the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
Together, we are co-designing a Social Value Partnership Model aimed at bridging the gap between corporate resources and community needs. The model is designed to be scalable, with the potential to expand beyond Bristol and respond to national and international client expectations around social value delivery.
As we continue to trial and refine this approach, we remain committed to learning from our partners, amplifying community voices, and shaping a more inclusive and impactful social value ecosystem.
This includes co-developing delivery plans, providing strategic input into tenders, and offering bespoke training
Recognising the growing importance of social mobility in public sector procurement, Burges Salmon recently delivered bespoke training for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) that explored the importance of social mobility and how organisations can play a meaningful role in addressing economic inequality.
The training combined information sharing and practical tools to help DIO teams identify opportunities to drive social mobility outcomes. It also provided a space for open dialogue on barriers, best practice, and the role of businesses in increasing social mobility.
That’s why we work in partnership with VCSE organisations to understand local priorities and design initiatives that respond to real needs.
Through strategic collaborations, we help bridge the gap between corporate resources and community aspirations, supporting inclusive growth, resilience, and long-term impact.
In 2025, Burges Salmon deepened its commitment to community engagement through a strategic partnership with Voscur, Bristol’s leading support organisation for the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
Together, we are co-designing a Social Value Partnership Model aimed at bridging the gap between corporate resources and community needs. The model is designed to be scalable, with the potential to expand beyond Bristol and respond to national and international client expectations around social value delivery.
As we continue to trial and refine this approach, we remain committed to learning from our partners, amplifying community voices, and shaping a more inclusive and impactful social value ecosystem.
“Rather than simply fulfilling social value requirements, we collaborate with clients and stakeholders to shape them, ensuring our contributions are meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable.”
Rosie Culpin Social Value and Community Engagement Specialist
Social Value
At Burges Salmon, social value is embedded in how we work with communities and clients. Our approach is rooted in understanding and responding to community need, delivered through strategic partnerships with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and long-term local relationships. We focus on both firm-led and client-supported initiatives, enabling us to generate measurable impact that is defined by the communities we serve.