A South Wales-based law firm has donated a collection of toys to a local contact centre which helps parents maintain relationships with their children after divorce or a relationship breakdown.
Staff at HardingEvans collected items for the Cwmbran Contact Centre, which performs a vital service for their clients by providing a safe venue for them to maintain contact with their children.
The firm asked staff to donate unwanted toys, books and games before Christmas so that they could be donated to the centre, which they often use as a service for their clients.
Paralegal Sian Wheater said: “In the run up to Christmas we put out a request for unwanted items, knowing what a difficult time it is for families living apart. It seemed like a good time given that a lot of people throw away old items before Christmas to make room for the new ones their children receive as gifts.
“Thanks to our staff’s generosity, we were able to donate toys and games to one family in Newport who were struggling to afford luxuries at Christmas, and the remainder went to Cwmbran Contact Centre. That family and the Contact Centre were thrilled with the donation and we were more than happy to help.”
The Cwmbran Contact Centre provides a safe, friendly and neutral environment, where children of separated families can spend time with their parents and sometimes other family members to help them maintain contact with one another following a family breakdown.
A coordinator from Cwmbran Contact Centre said: “We were very pleased to accept the donation of toys from HardingEvans. We are a charitable organisation and rely on donations to continue with the work we do.
“We welcome HardingEvans’ understanding of the situation that these families face and we hope that with the help of the Contact Centre we may be able to resolve some of the difficulties being experienced by local families.”
The firm has a well-established Family and Care department which offers clients access to professional legal advice in circumstances where council social services are involved, or when parents are facing divorce or separation and are experiencing difficulties maintaining contact with their children. Legal aid is still available to families in certain circumstances and staff at HardingEvans are able to offer advice in relation to accessing it.
HardingEvans is one of the region’s most progressive law firms, offering a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals.