Local children’s charity Jessie May has been chosen as Guildhall Chambers’ charity of the year and has already benefited from a £13,000 donation from the central Bristol barrister set.

The first donation will fund a year of respite for two families supported by the charity, which cares for terminally ill children within their own homes.

James Townsend, Head of Chambers, said: “I am delighted that Chambers has chosen to support Jessie May this year. We aim to provide help to locally based charities which may not have the national presence to enable them to raise funds more easily.

“Jessie May is particularly impressive, in my view, because it tackles the really difficult problem of providing help when the long-term outlook for the child is not good.

“For some charities, the “miracles” that they seek are cure or life-transformation: Jessie May’s miracles are enabling children and their families to enjoy precious time together, help with facing the future, and providing comfort and support to the whole family. For these families, research for the future is of no assistance: they need help here and now, which is why Jessie May’s work is so vital.”

Jessie May provides a hospice at home service for terminally ill children, offering care to families in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. It costs around £1,000,000 for the charity to provide this care yearly and Jessie May is almost entirely dependent on public support.

Julian Withers, Head of Fundraising at Jessie May, said: “We are delighted to have the support of the Guildhall Chambers this year. Already the donation made by the Chambers is benefitting the families we care for and further support will allow us to continue offering vital medical, emotional and respite care.

“Every year our case load gets bigger so community generosity like this is very important. We look forward to working with the Chambers’ barristers over the next year.”

Formed in 1971 in central Bristol, Guildhall Chambers is one of the UK's leading barrister sets with 82 barristers. Guildhall is renowned for consistently attracting high level complex instructions; and recognised for excellence in three key areas: advice, advocacy and client service.

For more information on Guildhall Chambers visit http://www.guildhallchambers.co.uk/

For more information on Jessie May visit www.jessiemay.org.uk