The firm's overall business strategy has three pillars:
BRAND: To deliver a great service - every lawyer, every time
MONEY: To ensure we are sustainably profitable and that we invest in our business, our people, our clients, and our future
CARE: To care for our own people, to care for the planet, and to care for people who are less fortunate than we are.
We recognise that we occupy a privileged place in many ways. We don't take that for granted.
We try hard to put something back into society and to help people who for whatever reason are less fortunate than us :
Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Campaign
As a firm we have committed to raise £50,000 for the new Cancer hospital which has opened near our Oxford office. Specifically, this money is to pay for the PURPLE GARDEN which patients and their families can use for some peace and for some respite from the treatment they are undergoing.
To raise this money, we and our people have been involved in things are varied as abseiling, hill-walking, half marathons, cook-ins, monthly cake and produce sales, and most recently in the STRICTLY DARBYS ballroom dancing competition (in front of a live audience after a group of beginners had had instruction from the professionals). Having done this amongst ourselves it has now been opened up to become the Strictly Darbys Corporate Challenge.
In addition to raising funds to pay for the Garden a team from Darbys regularly attend the Garden to nurse and maintain it. The visits also mean that staff from Darbys are regularly meeting with nursing staff and patients who use the garden.
Going the extra mile
As well as operating our free legal support schemes for individuals and businesses (see PURPLE LEGAL and BLUE LAW) we recognised that there are parts of the community with particular needs where we can help too if we step outside of our normal areas of operation - so we did just that.
The results is our PURPLE / Support scheme.
PURPLE / Support is a free support service run by Darbys and a group of parents, carers and experts who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in dealing with issues and problems that arise in the lives of those who suffer from an injury or disability. PURPLE / Support is a unique service that people with any disability can call on, regardless of whether their disability arises from an injury or any case that we have assisted them with. This scheme has been very well received in the community. It has changed peoples' lives. You can see more of this scheme in the part of this website that deals with Personal Injury or Clinical Negligence claims.
Supporting the free helpline for victims of medical accidents
Every month one of our Clinical Negligence lawyers travels to Croydon to provide voluntary assistance for the Action Against Medical Accidents helpline. AvMA is an independent charity which promotes better patient safety and justice for people who have been affected by a medical accident.
Helping schools and their pupils with career awareness
We have a relationship with a local Community School where we are involved in a twinning scheme with the Citizenship Foundation. Our lawyers have spent a lot of time in the school with the pupils talking about jobs, careers, and generally how to "put your best foot forward" in CV's and interviews.
Childrens Adventure Farm Trust
Through our Manchester office, we continue to support the Childrens Adventure Farm Trust. The Trust provides holidays and activities for terminally ill, chronically sick, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the Northwest.
Charitable Events
We invite staff to wear their casual clothes on "dress down Fridays” at a cost of £1 each Friday with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Trust and the Darbys Purple Garden Fund.
In the past our charities have also included Arthritis Care - following the death of Rachel our longest serving member of staff in December 2009, our staff wanted to raise money for a charity that helped people like her.
In addition we support many charitable events throughout the year with time, funds, and fund-raising.