Local Solicitor commits to help fight the cost-of-living crisis for Bridlington residents Hayley Garnett, a Civil Litigation Solicitor and Partner at Pinkney Grunwells solicitors on the Yorkshire Coast has joined the Board of Trustees at The Hinge Centre in Bridlington. The Hinge, whose mission is to ‘Open Doors of Opportunity’ for those in Bridlington who experience hardship, poverty and exclusion, has been embedded in the Havenfield estate since 2008.
Jo Sanders, Chief Executive at The Hinge said: “Residents of Bridlington have been disproportionately affected over recent years, first by the COVID pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis, which is hitting our residents hardest. We have seen another huge increase this year in demand for our emergency food support and for our one-to-one support with benefits and welfare and housing issues. We’ve recently opened a second site in the old Crown Buildings in the centre of the town to allow us to help more people and having Trustees who can support us to grow and develop our support is vital for the people of Bridlington who rely on us to help them survive and thrive.”
Hayley was thrilled to be appointed as a Trustee in April and brings with her excellent skills as a Solicitor and local resident. Hayley has lived in the East Riding since being a small child and relocated to this part of the County when she was appointed as a partner at Pinkney Grunwells in 2013.
Having come from a single parent background, Hayley feels she has insight into the challenges people can face and has a passion to ensure access to justice as far as is possible. She feels strongly that those in positions of advantage should do all they can to assist those who are not, especially in the local community. She chose to add her support to The Hinge because she feels if people are lucky enough to have something to offer then they should do so.
Hayley said: “I’d heard great things from clients, colleagues and friends about The Hinge and as a firm we had chosen the Hinge previously to be one of our sponsored charities, so I was aware of the brilliant work they undertake. Becoming a Trustee feels like it will be a great challenge. I hope to be able to add value to the team who already do such fantastic work in the local area. Over the next year I want to focus on raising the profile of the charity to ensure that we can fund raise and obtain donations and support from those who are lucky enough to be in a position to do so, which will then help us to assist more people in Bridlington to deal with the cost-of-living crisis facing all of us. In my firm lots of people are very generous in their Wills and give to charities but lots of them are national charities. It would be even better if people could think more local and start with The Hinge!”
Chair of Trustees, Neil Watson added: “As a board we need younger Trustees with a range of skills and life experiences. Having Hayley join us is the first step in ensuring The Hinge continues to be available to provide support to the people of Bridlington as we face the costs of living crisis and the challenges it will bring for many. We’d love to hear from anyone in the Bridlington area who feels they have the skills or experience to support us and become a Trustee. They don’t need to have any specific training or qualifications, it’s more about them being passionate about helping others and a commitment to helping the charity develop.”
If you would like to know more about becoming a Trustee please get in touch with Jo Sanders at The Hinge for an informal chat. Email: info@thehinge.org.uk or call on 01262 679671.
