Lawyer supports homeless charity with weekly writing course

Since adopting a CSR strategy, lawyers from Ogier have been supported to volunteer for charities and good causes by painting castles, running marathons and planting food for primary schools.

And now Rachel DeSanges, counsel in the firm's employment law team, has been leading a weekly Creative Writing Group with St Mungo's – a charity tackling homelessness around London.

Rachel, who leads Ogier's Guernsey employment law team, has been running the course for clients of the charity, supporting and encouraging them to write poems and short stories and discuss their favourite books.

A project worker from St Mungo's says that the group has been "a fantastic success".

Project worker Rachel White said: "The benefits of such a group are manifest: the clients have a richer experience of life here, they get opportunity to explore themselves through creative means and joining the groups helps us to break down the “us and them” mentality between staff and clients."

"Rachel is running it in a deliberately non-directive way and the clients respond really well to it, having fantastic ideas on what activities to do and showing a lot of creativity doing them."

Rachel DeSanges said: "I can't tell you how much I enjoy the sessions.  The eclectic mix of personalities and backgrounds makes my day each week.  Many of the attendees come from good jobs and backgrounds – one chap was public schooled in Westminster - but for one reason or another they've fallen on hard times and haven’t had the fortune of family or other support to keep them off the streets.

"Their continuing good humour and insights into literature are so inspiring and a constant reminder that there is much joy to be found in the little things".

The charity is marking its 50^th anniversary this year – you can find out more about them (and donate) here - https://www.mungos.org/.