100 Club Profile: Teresa Davidson, Irwin Mitchell
Teresa Davidson is a partner and head of Family team at Irwin Mitchell, Leeds.
She is a member of the Leeds Community Foundation’s 100 Club, a patronage scheme for individuals who are motivated to make a difference in Leeds.
Here, Davidson discusses what he loves about the city, and why he’s involved in the foundation.
Your favourite thing about Leeds: I trained as a family lawyer in Leeds in the 1990s and I enjoy seeing how the city has changed with new businesses and leisure options – Leeds is now the largest Retail and Leisure destination in the UK outside of the West End and over 1,700 businesses across the city work in the sector. I see great opportunities for our business, especially with the launch of our Private Wealth proposition.
What would you change about the city: There is still a huge disparity between the thriving business areas of the city centre and some of pockets of the city where life is more difficult. At IM we take our social responsibilities seriously, and work with other organisations to do what we can for our local area, and Leeds in particular – Leeds Community Foundation, Welcome to Yorkshire and our 10 year association with West Yorkshire Playhouse, particularly in relation to disability access, which is a key part of the re-structuring work being done there and which we fully support. Everyone who works at Irwin Mitchell has a chance to raise money for charity or volunteer and we really value the links into the local community which this creates. We are also a strong supporter to apprenticeships and have an increasing number of recruits joining the business through this route both here in Leeds and nationally.
Why did you decide to join the LCF’s 100 Club: As a fan of the Community Foundation model I was keen to have Irwin Mitchell become a part of this when I joined as a Partner. As well as supporting Leeds Community Foundation this allows us to meet and network with business colleagues from across the city and build new relationships. We have also worked with the Foundation in setting up the Leeds Together events which bring together business contacts for learning, to raise money for The Leeds Fund as well as promoting equality and diversity.
What community issues are important to you and / or your organisation: As the Social Responsibility Partner for our Leeds office, I see how much work is done through our support of a number of initiatives including our apprenticeship scheme and local charities – many who provide support for those with disabilities but also more diverse organisations including our Charity of the Year, Whitehall Dog Rescue.
