Leading Shropshire amateur swimming club, Oswestry Otters, is celebrating achieving charity status thanks to support from Shrewsbury law firm Aaron & Partners.
Lawyers from the Oxon Business Park firm’s Corporate and Commercial team worked closely with the club on a pro bono basis to complete the lengthy process.
And the change in status means the club, which runs sessions for swimmers aged from seven years of age, at three pools in the town, can now attract sponsorship and work more closely with businesses in the area.
Run by volunteers, the Oswestry Otters swimming club has been established for more than 40 years and consistently ranks among the top three clubs in the area.
Previous fundraising has meant the club were able to employ a dedicated head coach, however additional funding is required to ensure the club can continue to offer the same level of support without having to raise fees.
Jo Jones from Oswestry Otters, said: “The club has seen huge success in the recent Shropshire county meet with many swimmers medalling and – qualifying to compete at regional level. The club has also has been represented at the British National Championships and British Para-Swimming Championships.
“Swimming is a high commitment sport, with our members training five sessions a week. Our volunteers are amazingly dedicated, but it is a big challenge for us to keep on top of all the aspects involved in running a successful club.
“We hope that now we’ve been able to establish ourselves as a charity, thanks to Aaron & Partners, we’ll be able to attract sponsorship from businesses which will help us to continue working with our head coach.
“We’ll also be able to secure more swimming time at larger pools without having to raise the fees for our members, therefore keeping it accessible for as many people as possible.”
The Corporate and Commercial team at Top 200 law firm Aaron and Partners, undertook the work on a pro bono basis, meaning Oswestry Otters were able to leverage the skills of the legal team free of charge.
Stuart Haynes, a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial team and Head of the Shrewsbury office, said: “As a firm we’re committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work and this was a wonderful opportunity to do just that.”
“The team of dedicated volunteers at Oswestry Otters do fantastic work, helping young people stay fit whilst making friends, and we were delighted to be able to help them build for a brighter future.”
Aaron & Partners LLP is a top 200 law firm, employing more than 120 staff across its three offices, in Shrewsbury, Chester and Manchester and provides legal services to those who own, run or invest in businesses.
Aaron & Partners’ key areas of advice include company and commercial law, dispute resolution and insolvency, commercial property law, employment law, regulatory, planning and environmental law, as well as matrimonial and wills, trusts and tax work. The firm can provide advice to clients with international legal issues.
The firm has sector specialisms in finance and banking, intellectual property, professional practices, warehousing and logistics, transport, pharmacy, licensing, academies, planning, energy, renewables, minerals & mining, waste management and agriculture.
Pictured: Oswestry Otters swim team
