Bristow & Sutor pledge donations to local charities

Bristow & Sutor pledge donations to local charities

As part of their ongoing support of their client Portsmouth City Council, enforcement firm Bristow & Sutor has made recent charitable donations to several worthy causes on the south coast. Recent beneficiaries include Stop Domestic Abuse and Advice Portsmouth, who were selected as part of a company-wide commitment to better support vulnerable members of society.  

Portsmouth City Council enlists Bristow & Sutor EAs for the provision of services related to road traffic debts and predominantly target the collection of outstanding parking and bus lane fines. Enforcement will also be integral to the introduction of a new Clean Air Zone coming to Portsmouth in 2022, which will see Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) to be issued to non-compliant vehicles.  

Stop Domestic Abuse is an innovative and unique provider of all services related to those affected by domestic abuse. The charity protects and works with victims, but also engage with perpetrators, the police and many other organisations. Bristow & Sutor has initially donated £500, which will immediately help towards supporting sheltering residents in local refuge accommodation. They have also donated boxes of PPE equipment for staff to use when providing face to face guidance. Stop Domestic Abuse CEO, Claire Lambon said,   

“Thank you Bristow & Sutor for the generous donation to women and their children living in our Portsmouth refuge. Women and children often arrive at refuge with little or no possessions and can often feel traumatised due to their experiences of domestic abuse. The opportunity to create happy memories together is a crucial part of a child and their mothers’ recovery. Many of the women in refuge rely on benefits and have no disposable income to go on days out to attractions, this donation will allow families to have a well-deserved, fun-filled day out at a local attraction.” 

Bristow & Sutor has also donated PPE to Advice Portsmouth to encourage success when difficult but important conversations need to take place. Advice Portsmouth is a branch of AdviceUK, the UK’s largest network of independent advice services. The charity provides support to front-line centres and agencies that offer independent social welfare and legal advice to those in need. 

Every Bristow & Sutor enforcement agent (EA), formerly known as bailiffs, possess masks, hand sanitisers, antibacterial wipes, disinfectant sprays and gloves as standard and must pass an industry approved course before being allowed to conduct visits. The business has supplied PPE boxes to independent services such as Citizens Advice Bureau throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to help ensure debtors maintain access to impartial advice at all times.  

Helen Addis, Social Responsibility and Customer Welfare Manager at Bristow & Sutor said, “We enjoy supporting worthy causes and hope these financial and PPE donations will help facilitate positive change for people in the local community we work within. Our EAs are often the first to identify someone as vulnerable when they visit them, so we know how important it is to foster conversations with those who are struggling. We are proud to be a supplier to Portsmouth City Council and remain committed to adding social value to every community that we engage with.” 

Bristow & Sutor has over 42 years experience in the collection of local council tax, non-domestic rates and unpaid Penalty Charge Notices. The company works with Transport for London (TfL) and has been involved in the first three Clean-Air Zone enforcement services in London, Bath and Birmingham. The company has taken steps to reduce its own carbon footprint recently and investment has been made into dynamic routing software to ensure EAs optimise the visits they make and promote fuel efficiency.