FIND OUT MOREIf you would likemore informationregarding thisarticle pleasecontact:Chatham Historic Dockyard is a long standingclient of Cripps, and the close connectioncontinues, particularly as Cripps' former seniorpartner, Andrew Fermor, is now the companysecretary for the dockyard. The current use of the dockyard is a far cry fromits origins. The first evidence of the Royal Navyusing the River Medway dates back to 1547 andin 1588 Chatham was used to prepare theQueen's ships to face the Spanish Armada. Overthe years the dockyard became the county'sprincipal naval shipbuilding and repair yard. Itrepaired many of the Navy's most importantships, including HMS Victory, which waslaunched on 7th May 1765. At the turn of the 20th century, submarineconstruction commenced at the dockyard. Thisheralded the start of a new shipbuilding era forthe dockyard specialising in submarineconstruction. In all, 57 submarines were built atChatham between 1908 and 1960. However, four centuries of shipbuilding andrepair eventually came to an end and insteadthe dockyard now operates as a very popularvisitor centre. Visitors can enjoy tours of thehistoric buildings, museum galleries and historicwarships as well as a vibrant programme ofevents and activities, including a ghost walkthrough the Smithery. As Ed Fowler, an associate in the property teamat Cripps says, "there is a great deal going on atthe dockyard and Cripps is frequently calledupon to advise in relation to the commercialand residential properties which include slips,pontoons, museums, offices and a high endresidential estate." Earlier this year Ed wasinvolved with the lease of part of the Smithery tothe National Maritime Museum which was theculmination of an exciting joint project with theImperial War Museum to create a new centre forthe world-class collections at the heart of thedockyard. CRIPPSLIFE15iNick Rowe PartnerT:01892 506 021E:nick.rowe@crippslaw.comPicture credits:clockwise from page 14Dockyard fog byTrevor Barnard.Twisted by AngusBarton.Two ladies by DonnaMaria Dodson.Smithery panoramaby Mike Chaplin.

T:+44 (0)1892 515 121 F: +44 (0)1892 544 878 E: reception@crippslaw.com DX: 3954 Tunbridge Wells Cripps Harries Hall LLPWallside House12 Mount Ephraim RoadTunbridge WellsKent TN1 1EGLondon office:53 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HST: +44 (0)20 7930 7879This publication gives general guidance only. It may not always apply and is not intended to replace specific legal advice. Weuse the word "partner" to refer to a member of the LLP, or anemployee or consultant who is a lawyer with equivalentstanding and qualifications. ©Cripps Harries Hall LLPCrippsActionBuilding for the futurewww.crippslaw.comCripps' Charity of the Year Each year our staff vote for a charity tosupport. This year we have chosenBuild Africa, a charity based inTunbridge Wells that worksexclusively in rural areas ofUganda and Kenya to helpyoung people escapepoverty through education.The introduction in bothcountries offree primaryeducationresulted in amassiveincrease indemand. Sadly thiswas not matched by anincrease in resources andtherefore the majority of children are unable toaccess a decent education. Children who arelucky enough not to be sent out to work attendovercrowded, poorly managed schools withteacher shortages, absenteeism, poor teachingand a lack of learning materials.Three out of four children drop out beforecompleting primary school and only 20% achieverecommended competency levels in literacy andnumeracy.Build Africa aims is to break this cycle of povertyby contributing to the construction of schoolsand working closely with the local community soas to leave parents and the managementcommittee in a position where the school cancontinue to thrive.So far it has helped over 100,000 young childrenin both countries and this year we will besupporting Build Africa in the construction ofnew classrooms at a school in the Naivash Districtof Kenya by undertaking a variety offundraising activities. Mike Vos,one of our partners, tookpart in this year's LondonMarathon and later inthe year there will be'Stars in Cripps Eyes'where members ofstaff will (attempt to)impersonate theirfavourite celebrities!To find out moreinformation about thisyear's charity please visitwww.build-africa.org or ifyou would like to make acontribution please liaise withOliver Morris.Offering a helping handOne of our latest community projects is tosupport a mentoring scheme run by the KentFoundation.Kent Foundation is a charity which provides helpfor young people in Kent to establish and developtheir business ideas and opportunities. Thementoring scheme will match each participatingmember of our staff with a young person. Thementor will provide them with one to one supportand guidance to help that person's businessreach its full potential.We see this as an exciting opportunity to supportour community by putting our skills andexperience to use in a sustainable way. Our firsttwo employees have completed their training andare waiting to be matched, so watch this space! FIND OUT MOREOliver MorrisPartner T:01892 506 262E:oliver.morris@crippslaw.comFor moreinformation on ourCrippsAction schemeplease contact :iThis year we have chosen BuildAfrica, a charity based inTunbridge Wells that worksexclusively to help young peopleescape poverty througheducation.