Member Article

Law firm makes the call for charity

Dickinson Dees, the region’s largest law firm, is touring a phone box art installation around the city’s leading attractions in aid of its charity of the year, NSPCC.

The campaign is being launched by the law firm to help raise awareness of ChildLine, a free and confidential phone line offering help and advice to young people, which has entered its 25th year of service.

To help celebrate the anniversary NSPCC commissioned artists to transform replicas of the Gilbert Scott phone box into art installations which were exhibited in London before being auctioned to raise money for the charity.

Dickinson Dees successfully bid on artist Michael Waller-Bridge’s installation called “Press for Help” which celebrates the wonders of science and technology in helping the ChildLine cause.

The installation is being made available to view by the law firm across a number of attractions in Newcastle as Victoria Smith, a trainee solicitor at Dickinson Dees, explains: “I came across the phone box whilst on a weekend away in London and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for us to raise money for our charity of the year by bidding for it.

“However, once the art installation was delivered we realised we could continue to raise awareness of ChildLine and the invaluable work that it does by touring the phone box around Newcastle. It was in situ in the foyer of the beautiful Theatre Royal, and has now moved on to Northern Stage.”

Philip Bernays, Chief Executive of the Theatre Royal said: “We were very pleased to play a role in the promotion of ChildLine by hosting Dickinson Dees’ Michael Waller-Bridge art installation on its Newcastle tour. We’ve had a very busy few weeks with sell-out shows for Save the Last Dance for Me, The Nutcracker and this week’s The Mousetrap, so it’s had some great exposure already. Visitors commented on the clever use of detail, and the way it makes a great historical archive – particularly as there’s some great retro handsets in there!”

As part of the campaign, Dickinson Dees is also running a competition using social media to share information about the phone box’s journey around the city and the charity it represents.

To be in with a chance of winning £50 worth of M&S vouchers members of the public can seek out the phone box, have their picture taken with it and email it to info@dickinson-dees.com, detailing their Twitter account.

“We’ll tweet our favourite pictures and @ you in. The aim is simply to get the most retweets of your picture to be in with a chance of winning the prize, so make sure your picture puts a smile on our face!” continued Victoria.

Janet Richardson, Regional Corporate Manager at NSPCC said: “ChildLine has been running for 25 years, providing help, support and hope to millions of children who may not have an understanding or awareness of abuse or the support available to them.

“We want to continue evolving to meet the changing needs of children over the coming 25 years and as part of this we will be visiting every primary school in the North East over the next three years. As partners of NSPCC, Dickinson Dees is not only helping to raise funds for the charity, but through this innovative campaign is also helping to raise awareness of ChildLine amongst the very people that need it – the children themselves.”

To be in with a chance of winning the prize, follow @dickinsondees to discover the phone box’s latest location. Get your picture taken with it, email it to info@dickinson-dees.com with your Twitter account details and once @dickinsondees has tweeted your picture, get as many retweets as you can!

For more information about ChildLine and NSPCC please visit www.nspcc.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Bond Dickinson .