Over £5,000 raised by leading legal firm for Cornish charity Sowenna

More than £5,000 has been raised for local Cornish charity – the Sowenna Appeal, by the team at the South West’s longest established legal firm, Coodes Solicitors.

The law firm, which has a network of offices across Cornwall and Devon, is match-funding £2,500 collected by staff, so the final donation will stand at over £5,000 for the Sowenna Charitable Fund – Coodes’ nominated charity.

Sowenna is an NHS child and adolescent mental health unit at Bodmin Hospital run by Cornwall NHS Foundation Trust, providing inpatient assessment and treatment for young people aged between 13 and 18 with mental health problems.

A designated charities team at Coodes, from support staff to partners within the firm, have been involved in fundraising efforts for Sowenna and activities have included ‘dress down’ days, regular cake sales, collections at agricultural shows, auction nights and cycle challenges. There have also been social evenings, sponsored walks and half-marathon runs, as well as individual events organised by members of the team.

Coodes has a dedicated team of specialist mental health lawyers and provides expert advice, working across Cornwall and Devon and beyond. They support patients and their families with a full range of legal services relating to the Mental Health Act, including, but not limited to, representation at mental health tribunals and manager reviews for patients both in the community and those detained in hospital and other issues surrounding the provision of aftercare services and displacement of a nearest relative.

Rebecca Moore, specialist mental health Chartered Legal Executive and charity fundraiser at Coodes, said: “We are very proud of our relationship with Sowenna and of the invaluable work they carry out. We could not be more pleased to support their vital services in any way we can, and we continue to provide our services and legal advice to the patients and families who access the Sowenna unit. For us, it is about being able to give something back and we are delighted to offer our token of our appreciation in this way. We are delighted be able to help Sowenna’s fundraising efforts.”

Hospital beds, therapy rooms and staff at Sowenna are funded by NHS England, however the Sowenna Appeal was launched to help provide equipment and areas that the NHS is unable to pay for, including parental accommodation, therapeutic and sensory gardens, art, music, cooking facilities, café, multipurpose activity barn and minibus.

Frances Riley, Clinical Unit Manager at Sowenna, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the whole team at Coodes for supporting our charity, particularly during a very difficult few years throughout the Covid pandemic. This significant gift and their tireless fundraising efforts for Sowenna is hugely welcomed and we want to extend our thanks and recognise Coodes’ team for their unwavering support for our appeal and their ongoing commitment to the mental health services for young people that we provide across Cornwall. Everyone at Sowenna appreciates what the team has done for us, and we highly value this special partnership with the firm.”

Funds raised by the charity also go towards maintaining and replacing equipment already purchased, as well as to pay for music tutors, art and occupational therapists and personal trainers to support teaching at Sowenna to provide activities for the health, wellbeing, and recovery of young people.

For more information about Sowenna’s charitable work visit www.sowenna.cornwallft.nhs.uk/sowenna-charity