WHAT could possibly motivate the joint head of a respected, growing Scottish law firm, together with a young colleague to make a death-defying tandem parachute leap out of an aeroplane circling rural Fife at 10,000 feet?
The answer is, to raise yet more funds for the Team Jak Foundation, a deserving charity which works tirelessly to support children and young people with cancer, providing vital practical and emotional support to them and their families.
Big-hearted staff at innovative Scottish legal firm Complete Clarity Solicitors andSimplicity Legal have already raised nearly £10,000 for the Livingston-based Foundation, as well as devoting hours of their time to act as volunteers.
The commitment of the Glasgow-headquartered solicitors has added significant emotional, social and practical support not only for the children affected by the illness but their family and friends and those who have been bereaved.
Joint director of the firm, Billy Smith said: “to call our tandem parachute jump “exhilarating” doesn’t begin to do it justice. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I speak as somebody who had already undertaken a static line parachute jump.
“More to the point, Chloe and I have raised a further £1400 for the charity to which our firm is devoted and I am very proud of her resilience and determination to achieve this daunting challenge alongside me.”
Chloe said: “Team Jak is named after Jak Trueman, a Lothians teenager who died in 2015 of a particularly aggressive form of the disease. When I joined the firm as a legal trainee I was inspired by the dedication of the entire team to raising money for what is an important and exceptionally worthwhile cause.
“Yes, I was pretty anxious about leaping out of an aeroplane at 10,000 feet but the adrenalin rush you get from free-falling through the sky is something that will be with me for the rest of my life.”
Jak Trueman was a happy, healthy teenager when he was diagnosed with a rare lymphoma. Demonstrating remarkable strength and courage, he raised nearly £100,000 for cancer charities in the five months before his death and charged his mother, Allison, with carrying on his work.
The firm’s staff’s contribution extends on a regular basis to helping with hands-on tasks such as cleaning and painting, or maintaining gardens for people whose time is consumed by looking after cancer victims.
Earlier this year 12 members of the law firm’s team climbed 4411 ft. Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, to raise £3000 for the foundation.
Mr. Smith said: “This is a truly deserving cause and our entire team are determined to do as much as they possibly can to help Team Jak help others in this terrible predicament.
“The firm became involved initially because my co-founder, Emma King, knew Jak’s family, but the legal staff, client services team and administrative staff have all since become wholeheartedly involved on their own account.
As well as organising fund-raisers such as a corporate golf day and an in-house business challenge, the team also participated in the Dundee Kiltwalk last weekend.
Led by qualified solicitors, Billy Smith and Emma King, the Complete Clarity team comprises a 30 strong team. It was founded in 2010 and merged with Simplicity Legal in 2017.
