Bird & Bird supports a number of legal, educational and local community causes. There is also an opportunity for staff to get involved in non-legal voluntary work, including two very specific community schemes with local schools in Camden.

Pro Bono work:

• Toynbee Hall: community of East London (although it reaches a far wider group of people across the whole of London). The public can receive advice on a huge range of issues often relating to debt, accidents and minor legal disputes. It acts as an important safety net underneath the regular legal advice community. Bird & Bird has been involved in Toynbee for the past 15 years. IP partner, Lorna Brazell volunteers on a Wednesday evening and has been doing so weekly for 11 years. In fact she now supervises it, being the most senior person who attends regularly. As well as Lorna a team of assistants are also involved on a more rolling basis.
  
• Oxfam International: Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organisations working together in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty suffering and injustice. We work with their in-house legal team. For Oxfam International Bird & Bird lawyers have provided advice on a wide range of IP issues.
  
• The Red Cross: A number of assistants are involved in our arrangement with the Red Cross that covers legal advice on a huge variety of issues. We also work with the Spanish Red Cross through our Madrid office

Voluntary / Charitable work:

• Community schemes in Camden schools: London: Bird & Bird is involved in two very specific community schemes with local schools in Camden; a number partnering scheme and a playground volunteer’s project. For the number partnering scheme, Bird & Bird staff spend half an hour from Tuesday to Friday with infants of the Blessed Sacrament School in King’s Cross using board games to support the children’s maths and language skills.
  
• The Social Mobility Foundation: Sponsorship of an under-privileged A-level student who will take placement with Bird & Bird just before they apply for entry to university.
  
• Ladies Shopping Event: The London office hosted a Ladies Shopping Event in London before Christmas which, as well as allowing 50 clients the opportunity to shop and to learn about starting an art collection, also helped raise £1,220 for the National Autistic Society.
  
• Camden Education Business Partnership (EBP): Our London office participates in Camden Education Business Partnership’s annual challenge for up to twelve Camden primary schools. Our volunteers help a group of five children (age 9 to 11) develop a business idea and prepare for a presentation event, where they can win up to £200 for their school.