Farleys is taking part in a virtual balloon race to raise funds for the charity Shine.

Shine supports those living with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus as well as their parents, families, and carers. Their work covers England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and, over the years, they have built up a community of more than 75,000 people.

The virtual balloon race, which will start on the 1st August and run for a week, will see hundreds of businesses vying for the top spot which is awarded to the balloon which travels the furthest.

Originally run as a physical balloon race, Shine changed the concept to a virtual race after considering the environmental impact of releasing hundreds of physical balloons.

The charity runs a number of balloon races throughout the year in order to raise the money needed to run their services. August’s event is raising money for their Health Development Team. The team has been vital to Shine’s approach to supporting members during the current crisis.

Their expert team are identifying and contacting our most at-risk members to ensure that they have all the support they need. The team are working directly with government agencies and other services to ensure that vulnerable members have priority access to food, medication and other essentials.

Many of Shine’s members have experienced high levels of anxiety, fear and isolation during lockdown. The Health Development Team offer weekly online sessions to provide wellbeing and peer support to those who are struggling. They are also supplying weekly updates on keeping safe during the pandemic, clarifying government guidelines for members who may be confused and uncertain as to whether they should shield.

Farleys has supported a number of Shine’s charity balloon races over the years and are looking forward to taking part once again. It is a charity close to the heart of many of our team and we are proud to support those living with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus through the work our private client and personal injury teams do.

For more information about the race, including how to join in and where you can follow it, please visit www.shinevirtualballoonrace.com.

Farleys is committed to giving back in whatever way we can, our extensive corporate social responsibility programme has seen the firm, and our charitable foundation, the Farleys Foundation, support a wide range of causes annually. For more information, please see our Corporate Social Responsibility and Farleys Foundation pages.