Gilbert Stephens sponsored the Sidmouth v Ivybridge rugby match on Saturday 25th March 2023, played at Sidmouth Rugby Football Club.
Gilbert Stephens were kindly invited to the pregame lunch and to watch the match. Our partner Richard Walford and his wife attended and had a fantastic day.
Richard said: “We had a great time at the pregame lunch networking with other local businesses and the team at Sidmouth RFC made us very welcome. As a firm that has practised in Sidmouth for many years we are very happy to be supporting our local team, and we hope that this is a relationship which will continue into the future.”
Both teams played the game in fantastic spirit with some outstanding rugby on display. The final result was Sidmouth 19 – 29 Ivybridge.
Sidmouth will be playing again this weekend, 1st April 2023, against Crediton RFC for the Devon Senior Cup match.
“Keeping up with trends” at the February Exeter Property Circle Event
On Thursday 23rd February 2023, Gilbert Stephens Solicitors attended the Exeter Property Circle networking event at The Dugout Bar in the new stunning Hotel Indigo.
The Gilbert Stephens team were out in full force with Vicky Thompson, Sarah Heath, Antonia D’Alessio, Nigel McKay, Ava Hill, Wendy Rockey, Matt Wreyford, Alastair Dunnett and Dana Mulligan, all attending and representing the firm. They thoroughly enjoyed catching up with old and existing contacts.
The Exeter Property Circle was set up to offer networking opportunities for property experts within the Exeter area and the initiative attracts more and more professionals in the property market at every event. It was a fantastic evening for the committee last night with another amazing turn out! Businesses came from across Devon to meet new contacts and build connections in the heart of the City.
On this occasion, the Exeter Property Circle were thrilled that Zach Maiden from Vickery Holman, was their guest speaker. Zach is Head of Office and Exeter Agency. He provided a short market review and gave an interesting talk about recent deals and market trends.
Exeter Property Circle is non-profit and all money raised is split between our 2 chosen charities, Exeter Chiefs Foundation & Exeter City Community Trust. Both charities do amazing work for our local communities, so EPC are really pleased to be able to support them again.
Our next event will be on 19th April 2023 and will be held at Exeter City Football Club. Julian Tagg, Chairman at Exeter City Football Club, will be our guest speaker. If you work in the property sector and would like to come along to this event then please follow the Exeter Property Circle on Facebook for further details @exeterpropertycircle.
Today is International Women’s Day! The day is dedicated to appreciating and recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements that women have made and continue to make.
Promoting inclusivity, equality, and diversity is crucial in all areas of life, including the workforce. Whilst gender is not the only area that should be focused on, today is a great opportunity to celebrate the success of women.
At Gilbert Stephens we believe that we have achieved true gender balance across the Firm. Not only do we employ many women throughout our business, but we are also proud to have a number of women at partnership level, including our CEO Vicky Thompson.
Lets continue to work towards a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Together we can forge women’s equality.
Tell us the women that you will be celebrating today!
WORLD BOOK DAY @ Gilbert Stephens! Many children across the UK today will be arriving at school dressed as their favourite book character to promote reading for pleasure and offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.
It’s a great excuse to go and check out your local bookshop with the £1 voucher supplied by schools. Follow the link to see the books available for £1 in local participating retailers: 2023s-1-books (worldbookday.com)
Today @ Gilbert Stephens we are reminded of our very own “Book Swap Bookshelf” located in our CEO, Vicky Thompson’s room.
Our bookshelf is fully stocked and waiting for our staff to start a great read. Vicky operates an open-door policy and we feel very privileged to be able to pop by her office and take advantage of the fully stocked books available, there are some great novels to be read!
Did you know that reading in the workplace can be a great stress buster. A regular reading habit has a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing. Reading for just six minutes a day slows down your heart rate and eases tension and can reduce stress by 68%.
The “Book Swap” bookshelf located in our CEO, Vicky Thompson’s office.
Antonia D’Alessio getting into the World Book Day spirit wearing her lovely book dress!
We are looking forward to joining the Crediton Rotary Club this evening at which Conall Ryan will be talking about Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) are important documents to have in place, as they can provide invaluable security and peace of mind for individuals. LPAs allow a person to plan ahead, so that should they become unable to make decisions regarding their finances and/or health and welfare at some point in the future, they have the person or people who they trust, known as attorneys, to legally manage their affairs on their behalf, setting out any preferences or instructions they have. There are two types of LPAs, being one for financial affairs and, the other, for health and welfare. Once registered the LPAs are ready to be used straight away if needed.
If a person does not have LPAs in place, and they lose capacity, it would be necessary for someone, such as one of the relatives or friends of the person who has lost capacity, or even the local authority, to make what is known as a Deputyship application. A Deputyship is not normally granted for health and welfare, due to the personal nature. There are also various other implications and complexities, when a Deputy is appointed, including but not limited to, the initial application taking several months, the costs involved running into several thousand pounds, needing to set up a security bond and pay an annual fee.
By having LPAs in place, it is a bit like having an insurance policy as you have set out who and how you would like things to be dealt with should the worst happen, it gives peace of mind not only to you but also your loved ones that you have things in place to make sure your affairs can be dealt with as smoothly as possible at this difficult time. People tend to think that these are only needed by people who are of the older generation or if they have been diagnosed with a certain condition but people of all ages should set these up.
Gilbert Stephens’ conveyancing team recently descended on ISCA Bowls in Exeter for a spot of bowls tuition, and it was trickier than they anticipated! Despite the best efforts of ISCA’s expert coach, many members of the team struggled to stay within the confines of the green and get their bowls close to the jack!
On arrival the team were given a lesson on how to bowl the wood (ball) then after some practice they had a few games using a jack.
The aim of the game is to roll your bowls close to the ‘jack’, a smaller white ball. This is a lot harder than it looks and requires precision and finesse! It was great to see everyone throwing themselves into the game with enthusiasm – even if they weren’t always successful!
Despite their difficulties, the team’s enthusiasm never wavered. When all was said and done, most members had gotten the hang of it, in particular Alistair who despite missing the practice session was very good and obviously has a natural talent (or has some secret practice…)!
Team members were later treated to a delicious buffet in the club house, and were able to continue their bowling education with the ISCA Bowls members and ask any questions. Everyone left feeling inspired and with a new insight into the game!
Marilyn one of the generous organisers said “It was a brilliant event, we really enjoyed hosting Gilbert Stephens and introducing them to the fun of bowls!”
Paul Kibbler head of the conveyancing team said “It was a great afternoon for everyone involved, a big thank you to ISCA Bowls for hosting and providing us with a wonderful experience. We may well be back!”
The Exeter Property Circle (EPC) met for one final time this year at Margoux to celebrate the festive season and their own successes through 2022! The members of EPC enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks, while also taking the time to present Exeter City Community Trust, one of their chosen charities, with the money raised throughout the year.
The EPC is non profit and proud to have been able to raise funds for both The Exeter Chiefs Foundation & Exeter City Community Trust who do great work within the local community. Through 2022 they have raised £600 for each charity.
The festive celebration was an enjoyable way to end the year, with everyone in attendance able to show their appreciation for the EPC and its chosen charities.
Thank you to everyone who attended and donated this year, the money raised makes a huge difference. The group looks forward to continuing their networking events in 2023. Anyone working within property in and around Exeter is welcome to join. If you would like any more information please contact and follow the EPC on Facebook and Eventbrite!
Gilbert Stephens Solicitors are sponsoring the Okehampton District Round Table Christmas Santa Sleigh drive-by for the third year in a row. This much-loved annual event organised by the Okehampton District Round Table takes place throughout the festive season until 19 December.
The event aims to bring Christmas cheer and treats to children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to see Santa. This year Santa even has treats for some canine friends!
Vicky Thompson, CEO at Gilbert Stephens said “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this much loved event. The smiles it brings to the community are priceless, alongside the more practical support that is also provided. I’d like to say a big thank you to Okehampton Round Table for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, it is much appreciated by everyone!”
The Sponsorship money provided by Gilbert Stephens will go towards the Christmas Sleigh event and also the maintenance of the sleigh itself. The Round Table also support the Okehampton Food Bank which is a crucial support line for so many. It furthermore enables the Round Table members to carry on their good work in the local community throughout December and the year to come with lots of events coming up to help the community in the new year.
Chris Brown-Martin, Chairman at the Okehampton Roundtable said: “The Christmas Sleigh is a massive part of Okehampton and the district festive celebrations and we cannot wait to continue spreading the Christmas cheer, bringing smiles to families this Christmas. We are thrilled and proud to have Forthglade join our efforts. We want to lift the spirits of the local community in a time of much concern. We Thank our Sponsors who help make these events happen.”
It’s been a busy week at Gilbert Stephens with Christmas Tree Festivals, a visit from Santa at our Okehampton office, the Okehampton Late Night Edwardian Evenings and Sidmouth Late Night Shopping – we’ve eaten a fair few mince pies!
Here’s some photos of recent events and a big thank you to everyone who visited us!
This information does not constitute legal or financial advice and you are advised to seek the guidance of a lawyer or financial advisor to discuss your individual requirements.
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