Corporate Social Responsibility

Following on from launch in 2007, our Corporate Social Responsibility initiative has gone from strength to strength thanks to the efforts of the CSR Action Groups in each of our Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London offices and the continued support of employees generously giving their time and money.

Each office continues to fulfil their three-part remit with great enthusiasm:

• To get involved in projects making a difference to our offices' local communities.
• To raise the profile of environmental issues relevant to MMS employees.
• To organise fundraising within the firm.

Community Based Projects

We've had a number of initiatives this year. These include:

• Helping Scottish Autism paint their centre located in Bridgeton, Glasgow in September 2011
• Assisting Lodging House Mission with their annual harvest - the collection and distribution of food for the homeless in November 2010.
• Supporting diploma students at Edinburgh University's Law School who provide a free legal advice service.
  

Pro Bono Work

Lex Mundi, the international organisation of which we're a proud member, has its own initiative in this field - the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation. The foundation's aim is to call upon those of us in its network 'to provide legal assistance to select social entrepreneurs on a pro bono basis'.

Our other work includes helping out at The Citizens Advice Bureau at the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) in London. We also assist those with cases in the RCJ or county courts who aren't eligible for Legal Aid.

We also regularly meet with high school S5 and S6 pupils who are considering a career in law as part of Edinburgh University's Pathways to the Profession scheme.

Our Aberdeen Office continues to take an active role in pro bono work. MMS currently act as the Legal Advisers and Company Secretary for the Archie Foundation, the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, with John Findlay advising them on all legal and commercial matters. MMS also was active in the project to keep open the well-loved Doonies Farm, the local rare breeds educational farm which faced closure but is now thriving under its new operation.

Environmental Initiatives

Both our Edinburgh and the Glasgow offices are collecting and recycling milk bottle tops for a local Edinburgh Charity. Both offices are also collecting 'Vouchers for Schools' for distribution to schools within the local community.

In addition to this we are now bottling still and sparkling water for client meetings on site to avoid waste and reduce the carbon impact involved in transporting ready bottled water.

Charity Events

Always mindful of the communities in which they operate, each of our offices singles out, through an employee nomination process, a Local Charity of the Year for special attention. We raise funds through the efforts of our employees, as well as assisting the charities' own fundraising activities.

Here are the individual offices' selections:

Aberdeen

SANDS - Stillbirth and Neonatal Death

Edinburgh

Sick Kids Friends' Foundation

Glasgow

Maggie's Cancer Care Centre

London

Great Ormond Street Hospital

MMS's own Charitable Trust provides financial support and encouragement to employees who are fundraising individually by taking part in marathons and other challenges. This year the Charitable Trust has also pledged to donate £50 for every employee who donates blood as part of the firm's annual blood drive.

We also support Payroll Giving, a government-backed scheme encouraging employees to make tax-free donations to charities of their choice.

In the past year alone, the following charities have received donations:

• 500 Miles
• Action Medical Research
• Alzheimer Scotland
• The Archie Foundation
• Arthritis Care
• Borderline Scotland
• Born Too Soon
• Breakthrough Breast Cancer
• Children in Need
• Children's Holiday Venture
• Children's Hospice Association Scotland
• CLIC Sargent
• Combat Street
• Cranhill Community Project
• The Cure Parkinson's Trust
• DecAid
• Edinburgh Young Carers Project
• Erskine
• Fairbridge in Scotland
• Forth Valley Chorus
• Friends of Borders General Hospital
• Friends of Royal Cornhill Hospital
• Gorbals Youth Café
• Great Ormond Street Hospital
• Children's Charity
• Help for Heroes
• Highland Cross
• Hope UK
• Lymphoma Association
• Marie Curie Cancer Care
• Mission International
• Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres
• The Meningitis Trust
• NSPCC
• Phoenix Group for Deaf Children
• The Princes Trust
• Prostrate Cancer Charity
• Revive MS Support
• Richard's House Children's Hospice
• Sands
• Scottish Cot Death Trust
• Scottish Society for Autism
• Sense Scotland
• Shelter Scotland
• Sick Kids Foundation
• Sightsavers
• St Andrew's Hospice
• Strathcarron Hospice
• Yorkhill Children's Foundation

• Zoe Lee Foundation