HCR Law and Royal Berkshire Hospital

Royal Berks Charity is the official charity of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, supporting patients, families and NHS staff by funding equipment, projects and improvements to hospital environments beyond what NHS funding can provide. HCR Law’s relationship with the charity is a story of personal gratitude, business growth and community connection - and an example of what companies can become part of when they invest in Reading.

In May 2020, Andy Woollatt was rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital following a life-threatening cycling accident.

Andy had suffered a severe brain injury and a fractured neck and was placed in a deep coma in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. His wife Tahlia, a Partner in HCR Law’s Real Estate Disputes team, faced an agonising wait.

“It was the worst and loneliest time of my life,” says Tahlia. “Just sitting in a windowless room, waiting. It was just me and the silence.”

Following specialist care from the ICU team, rehabilitation and further surgery, Andy was able to return to his family and his career.

Five years later, Tahlia’s experience became the starting point for a partnership between HCR Law’s Thames Valley office and Royal Berks Charity.

From personal experience to company-wide support

After hearing Tahlia’s story, colleagues across HCR Law wanted to give something back to the hospital team that had cared for Andy and supported his family.

The firm’s Thames Valley office began fundraising for Royal Berks Charity in 2025. Employees have since taken part in activities including Tough Mudder and volunteered their time to help improve the hospital’s Oasis Garden, an outdoor space designed to support NHS staff health and wellbeing.

The partnership has also supported improvements to the ICU’s overnight family room, helping to provide a more comfortable and welcoming space for relatives who need to remain close to a critically ill loved one.

Now in its second year, HCR Law is continuing its support through Royal Berks Charity’s 30th Anniversary Equipment Appeal, which is raising funds for equipment across Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

“When Tahlia shared her story with us last year, we felt it was a very worthwhile cause,” says Lewis Djemal, Partner and Head of HCR Law’s Thames Valley office. “It’s great to renew our commitment for a second year.”

A place where professional services businesses can grow

HCR Law is an award-winning top 50 UK law firm with 12 offices across England and Wales. Its Thames Valley office has grown significantly since opening in Reading in 2012.

Initially established as a real estate hub, the office has developed into a broader multidisciplinary base, with a strong corporate team and access to international expertise.

Its growth reflects Reading’s wider strength as a centre for professional services. Legal, financial and consultancy firms operate alongside major international businesses, growing SMEs, research-led organisations and technology companies.

For firms such as HCR Law, Reading provides access to a highly skilled workforce, an established professional network and strong connections with London and the wider Thames Valley. It is a place where businesses can recruit, develop new areas of expertise and build lasting relationships with other organisations in the region.

HCR Law’s specialist healthcare expertise also connects with another important part of Reading’s identity: its strength in healthcare, research and innovation.

Healthcare as an economic and community asset

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest general hospital trusts in the UK. It serves a local population of more than 500,000 people, with some specialist services reaching close to one million people across Berkshire and the surrounding region.

Its Intensive Care Unit cares for more than 1,000 patients each year and was named ICU Trust of the Year at the National Intensive Care Awards in 2022.

The hospital is an essential part of the area’s infrastructure. It provides critical care for people who live and work across the region, supports a large and highly skilled workforce and contributes to Reading’s wider healthcare and research community.

For businesses considering Reading as a place to invest, access to high-quality healthcare is also an important part of the area’s quality-of-life offer. It helps make Reading a place where people can build not only their careers, but their lives.

Connecting healthcare, research and education

The hospital’s role extends beyond delivering day-to-day patient care.

In 2021, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Reading established the Health Innovation Partnership. Through this formal collaboration, the two organisations work together on clinical research, education and innovation intended to benefit patients.

More than £1.5 million in collaborative research funding has been awarded through the partnership to date, while ICU consultants also hold professorships at the University.

This relationship brings together frontline clinical knowledge and academic expertise, strengthening Reading’s position in research, life sciences and healthcare innovation.

It also demonstrates one of the area’s wider advantages: the ability of major institutions to work together, share knowledge and create opportunities that would be difficult to achieve in isolation.

Giving employees a connection to the place where they work

HCR Law’s support for Royal Berks Charity shows how businesses can become part of that wider community.

For HCR employees, the partnership provides more than an opportunity to raise money. It offers different ways to contribute to a cause that has a clear and personal connection to colleagues, their families and the place where they work.

Fundraising challenges can bring teams together outside their usual roles, while volunteering enables employees to contribute their time and see the difference their involvement can make.

Supporting a local NHS charity can be particularly meaningful because hospitals touch so many lives. Employees may have their own connection through care received by a relative, friend or colleague.

These opportunities can help businesses create a shared sense of purpose, strengthen relationships between colleagues and demonstrate a visible commitment to the community around them.

A place to invest - and belong

For organisations looking at Reading from outside the region, HCR Law’s experience offers a valuable picture of the town.

Reading combines a thriving professional services sector with major healthcare and academic institutions, a highly skilled workforce and a strong culture of collaboration. Businesses have opportunities not only to grow, recruit and develop expertise, but also to build meaningful relationships with the communities they serve.

HCR Law’s partnership with Royal Berks Charity is one example of how a growing business can become part of Reading’s wider story: investing in its people, contributing to local life and supporting the institutions that help make the area a strong place to live and work.

Businesses considering locating, investing or expanding in Reading can learn more through the Invest in Reading hub.

Companies interested in supporting patients, families and NHS staff can also explore corporate partnership opportunities with Royal Berks Charity.