SIMPSON GRIERSON IN THE COMMUNITY

WE PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT PRO BONO $ LEGAL ADVICE TO COMMUNITY OVER $820,000 of 44 ORGANISATIONS pro bono services ASSISTED, including ORGANISATIONS provided. Beijing Zhongze In the 12 months Women's Legal Centre NGO, International July 2014 – June Centre for Missing 2015: and Exploited Children (ICMEC), Community Law Centre, Himalayan Trust, The Refugee Family Reunification Trust.

WE CARE FOR BY MEETING SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS, FIRST FOUNDATION YOUTHLINE (SINCE RONALD ORAKEI SCHOOL – – providing university 2004) – assisting MCDONALD HOUSE a weekly mentoring PARTICULARLY scholarship, a with their mission – volunteer cooking programme for TO YOUNG mentoring programme to foster leadership roster, preparing students. PEOPLE and valuable work and personal skills in dinner for residents. experience. young people.

WE VALUE OUR PEOPLE AND TRY TO  BE A GREAT EMPLOYER RAINBOW TICK – WELLNESS EMPLOYEE RECOGNISED BY first organisation in PROGRAMME ASSISTANCE LEADING AWARDS – New Zealand. – mental and PROGRAMME YWCA Equal Pay Awards physical education/ (EAP) – confidential 2014, IFLR Best Firm in assistance. counselling service Australasia for Diversity for staff and their and Most Innovative families. , IFLR Gold Award for Gender Equality, IFLR Silver Award for Employer of Choice, Australasian Magazine - the NZ firm most would like to work for.

WE TAKE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY WE USE 100 MOBILE OUR PAPER is from a WE RECYCLE our BIODEGRADABLE PHONES DONATED sustainable supplier. glass, plastic and PRODUCTS including to the Starship paper. cleaning products, Foundation. bin liners, coffee cups & lids, ecoware and toner cartridges. Simpson Grierson takes its role as a good corporate With a culture that is highly supportive of CSR we citizen seriously and Corporate Social Responsibility is continue to increase our involvement in community a core part of our brand and reputation. We have been initiatives. Our key focus is on activities that help young an outstanding provider of pro bono legal advice and people to reach their full potential, and we are proud services to a wide variety of community groups, not for of our long standing relationships with partners such as profit and charitable organisations for many years. We Youthline, Ronald McDonald House, First Foundation and combine this work with hands-on volunteering, financial Orakei School which we outline below. donations, and organisational leadership to assist our MICHAEL WOOD community partners. Pro bono partner

HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION: “Simpson Grierson has been a consistent and valued partner for 10 years. That consistency has helped Youthline grow into WORKING WITH YOUTHLINE a vibrant, proudly New Zealand grown, youth development We've been supporting Youthline since 2004 as one of our organisation. main community partners. We provide support through Simpson Grierson enabled Youthline to step further into an annual donation, pro bono advice, and a wide range the digital divide through the provision of a world first text of fundraising activities. We also provide graphic design counselling service. Ten years on we have answered over support and one of our young lawyers sits on Youthline's 1.5 million texts and taken our learnings out into the world Board of Trustees. supporting other countries to establish text counselling services. Without Simpson Grierson’s belief in Youthline and the ongoing consistent support we would not be all that we have become. We are proud to be your partner.” Stephen Bell, MNZM, CEO

OUR FIRST FOUNDATION SCHOLAR Otago University. We are two years into sponsoring Nera through law school and will be sponsoring her for another First Foundation was founded to give young talented New two years until her graduation in 2016. Zealanders, with limited financial resources, a helping hand into tertiary education by providing university scholarships, “First Foundation has offered me opportunities which I a mentoring programme to support students through the wouldn’t have otherwise had, such as enabling me to pursue challenges of university life and valuable work experience to my studies at Otago University with the help of Simpson help them get a head start. Grierson. I am currently studying law and a BA in politics & communications. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work Nera Tautau from Porirua was the first Simpson Grierson First experience at Simpson Grierson so far and look forward to Foundation Scholar in 2013. Nera completed work experience getting more involved in the future.” Nera Tautau in our office before starting her law degree at

COOKING UP A STORM WITH RONALD “We are thoroughly enjoying our association with Simpson Grierson. Having a group of focused, motivated people MCDONALD HOUSE brings an added dimension to the House. This is a wonderful Volunteers from the Wellington office have been helping out commitment from very busy people. Families are so at Ronald McDonald House since early 2012.The team takes impressed with our volunteers and the time they give to us.” part in the volunteer cooking roster, preparing dinner for Emma Daley, Ronald McDonald House Wellington’s residents once a month. We also provide volunteers for the Volunteer Co-ordinator annual street appeal.

PLANTING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS: ORAKEI In May our Summer clerk nominees took part in a team building exercise which saw them work together to construct SCHOOL MENTORING PROGRAMME bicycles which were then given to children from the school Since 2003 we’ve been supporting the kids at Orakei School who had never owned a bike before. in Auckland. A dedicated Simpson Grierson team runs a “Simpson Grierson and Orakei School have developed a weekly mentoring programme for the Year 8 pupils. Each strong and treasured relationship through the mentoring week the kids work with their Simpson Grierson mentors programme which began in 2003 with year 8 students. We on a variety of activities. The programme aims to provide work closely on other initiatives to help the school succeed additional support that will assist them in their first year of including our annual Art Exhibition and activities which focus high school. We also provide pro bono advice and donate on creating positive change. The valued support of Simpson items such as toiletries and books to the school. Grierson has contributed greatly towards the growth, nurture and education of our children”. Matthew Crumpton, Principal