Solicitors from all over the county have clubbed together to support centres where estranged parents can meet their children in controlled and safe surroundings.

The lawyers met outside St Andrew’s Church in Devizes, where the local contact centre holds its sessions, to hand over £1,000, which will be shared among the centres in Devizes, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Frome.

The firms are all part of the specialist family law group Resolution. The initial idea of helping the centres was the brainchild of Jim Ward, who was murdered in his office just a few yards from St Andrew’s in July last year.

His former colleague at MGW Law, Nicola Grosvenor, who chairs the collaborative group, said: “Jim would have been so pleased to see us hand over this money. He worked in family law with the rest of us and knew how valuable the work of these contact centres is.

“We are delighted to be able to donate £1,000 to such a worthwhile charity, one that puts the needs of the children first. Indeed, it is this principle which forms the foundation of our work as collaborative lawyers.

“We place the needs of any children first, while encouraging divorcing or separating couples to work together to achieve mutual goals.”

Danni Mark, of the Rise Trust which runs the centre in Chippenham, said: “We will probably spend it on new toys. Those we have get a lot of wear and they are so important in making the children feel at ease.”

The child contact centre in Devizes is always looking for new volunteers, who should be caring, sensitive and flexible, to help ensure each child can enjoy contact with their non-resident parent or other family members. If you have a few hours to spare and would like to make a real difference to the lives of children and their families, email devizesccc@yahoo.co.uk The solicitors involved in Resolution are Goughs, Awdry Bailey and Douglas, Wansbroughs, Forrester Sylvester Mackett, Quality Solicitors Farnfields, Stone King, Harris and Harris, and Middleton and Upsall.

Picture caption: Jenny, of Frome contact centre; Jo Pridmore of Quality Solicitors; Peter Berry of Forrester Sylvester Mackett; Elaine Weaver of West Wilts contact centre; Ross Phillips of Goughs; Ellen Fenby of Devizes contact centre; Nicola Grosvenor of Wansbroughs and, front with cheque, Tasmin Shahadat and Danni Mark from the Rise Trust, Chippenham.