A spectacular evening of dance and fundraising hosted by No5 Barristers’ Chambers has been hailed a resounding success for the second successive year.
More than 300 guests gathered on Friday 10th June to see solicitor Claire Crawford of Shakespeare Martineau, and her professional dance partner Paul Cammack, lift the No5 Chambers Strictly 9 to 5 trophy.
The pair wowed the audience with their jive, and they were awarded a maximum 40 points by the judges – one point more than the 39 Paul scored last year to win the event when he danced the Argentine Tango with assistant solicitor Charlotte Doyle.
Claire, a solicitor at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “I am over the moon to have been crowned the No5 Chambers Strictly 9 to 5 Champion and delighted to have been given the opportunity to take part in such a fantastic event and raise money for the Child Brain Injury Trust. I have learnt a great deal from the experience and met some amazing people. The memories will remain with me for a long time and I would urge anyone considering whether to take part next year to go for it, you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
No5’s very own barrister Michelle Heeley, wowed the audience with her Argentine Tango and clerk Craig Wain with the Cha Cha Cha, bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation following their perfomances.
The 2016 star studded event took place at the Town Hall, Birmingham and was again compered by Strictly favourite Anton Du Beke with £15,000 being raised for the Child Brain Injury Trust.
The four judges were Darren Bennett, a Latin dance specialist who with his partner Jill Halfpenny won the 2004 series of Strictly Come Dancing; Jamie De Souza, a lawyer with black country firm Higgs & Sons and former amateur Ballroom and Latin dancer who represented Great Britain; Elisha Willis, principal artist at the Birmingham Royal Ballet; and Kerry Alebon, a successful competition dancer who turned to teaching and who was runner up in last year’s event with No5 Barrister Jamie Gamble.
No5’s Practice Director, Tony McDaid, said “We are incredibly proud to support the Child Brain Injury Trust, and delighted that we were able to raise another significant amount of money for such a worthwhile charity.
“A huge thanks to all of our dancers – both professional and their legal volunteers – who committed so much time and effort into providing us with such an enjoyable evening.”
Lisa Turan, CEO of the Child Brain Injury Trust, took to twitter to praise the event: “Thank you @No5Chambers for your amazing support, hard work and energy – @cbituk are so grateful to you all.”
The Child Brain Injury Trust is one of the No5’s nominated charities of the year. The charity was established by a group of health professionals in 1991 to research and provide information regarding the effects of ‘traumatic’ injury on a child’s developing brain. It is now the leading voluntary sector organisation in the UK providing emotional and practical support to families affected by childhood acquired brain injury across the whole of the UK.
