We recently raised £87.50 for Shelter UK, as part of a fun campaign to help our staff better understand the plight of the homeless. Though we'd originally planned to hold a collective camp out in our ample gardens, inclement weather rendered this essentially inhumane. Undeterred, we held an indoor camp-out instead, decamping to different rooms of our homes (second homes, in some cases!) to really get a sense of the struggle that those on the street have to endure on a nightly basis. A great time was had by all!

At Spencer & Browne, we believe that—other than billable hours, client retention, office etiquette and proper grammar—there is nothing more important than the mental health of our employees. That's why, for Mental Health Awareness Week, we encouraged staff to open up about some of the ways they like to relax and unwind after a stressful day. There were lots of fantastic suggestions, from equestrian dressage or a cheeky G&T, to just logging on thirty minutes earlier each morning to clear out your inbox.

We were also treated to an eye-opening seminar about mental health in the workplace, from none other than positivity coach Freya Spalding. We learned that an astonishingly high proportion of those working in the legal profession rate their mental wellbeing as "below average" or "poor". It's not all bad news, however: research has shown that this phenomenon relates mostly to junior roles, and that self-rated wellbeing scores are much greater for those in partner and senior partner positions. Clearly, not everyone has what it takes to succeed!