Bell Dewar actively participates in the upliftment of disadvantaged people in South Africa. Our main areas of social investment are in the areas of education, the arts and children's causes.

Scholarships
See under Careers

Alexandra Education Committee Bursary
Bell Dewar sponsors a school learner, from grade 8 to grade 12, through the Alexandra Education Committee. Junior Attorneys at Bell Dewar have embarked on a mentorship programme through the Committee. The Alexandra Education Committee selects children from primary schools in Alexandra affected by the prevailing poverty and deprivation, and places them in racially integrated schools outside Alexandra where they are exposed to a higher standard of education and a more stable social environment. The AEC monitors and provides continuous support and guidance to all its bursary holders.

Artist Proof Studio
The people at Bell Dewar are passionate about South African art. Our in-house art collection reflects this passion. We also believe in the development of people who will become great artists. We therefore sponsor the tuition of art students at Artist Proof Studio (APS) in Newtown Johannesburg.

APS is a community based printmaking studio situated in the Newtown Cultural Precinct. It has become a home studio and resource centre for artists from the surrounding townships and various areas around Johannesburg and offers training and skills development to financially under-served artists.

For the past four years Bell Dewar has hosted an annual art exhibition showcasing, amongst others, artworks from the five sponsored artists. Artwork in excess of R100 000 has been sold at our exhibitions. We have now expanded to make our support more sustainable by starting an art gallery of works by APS students in the firm's offices, as well as launching it on the firm's website. The website features the artworks, profiles on the artists as well as an art gallery archive.

Every year lawyers of the firm deliver presentations on law to all the students of APS. The presentations covered the following topics: Copyright; Contract; Employment; Tax; The National Credit Act; Dispute Resolution. The students are given the opportunity to ask the lawyers questions on any of these topics.

The firm is a corporate member of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).

In terms of the rules of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, each attorney is required to do a minimum of 24 hours per annum of pro bono work. The rule specifically refers to the "delivery of advice, opinion or assistance in matters, falling within the professional competence of a member, to facilitate access to justice".

ProBono.org

Bell Dewar is a founding member of ProBono.org, a pro bono clearing house supported by Atlantic Philanthropies. Our attorneys regularly staff the ProBono.org Refugee and HIV/AIDS clinics. We also take on general pro bono matters where we have the expertise to provide legal advice.

General pro bono matters

We have a number of clients that are not for profit organisations for whom we provide pro bono legal services to, including:

• Child Welfare
• ORT South Africa
• Thuto Thebe Educational Fund
• Wilderness Trust
• Bethany House
• Vuleka
• The Coalition of Anglican Children's Homes
• The Endangered Wildlife Trust
• The Prostate Cancer Foundation
• Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa

Bell Dewar supports a number of charities which focus on education, and children's causes.

Bell Dewar has assisted a young black chef, Philip Martins, to take over the contract to operate our in-house canteen. Philip is provided with the use of the firm’s kitchen, free of charge, and staff meals are subsidised to ensure that the business is viable. Philip has the use of the kitchen over the weekends so he is able to cater for external functions as well.

Philip Khanye is a young black waiter who has started his own business training and employing other young waiters and bartenders and placing them on assignments.

Bell Dewar's functions co-ordinator spends time mentoring and introducing these two businessmen to our clients who use their services.

Two independent ladies run a car wash business three days a week from the Bell Dewar car park. The firm provides the business with all its consumables - water, electricity, soaps and equipment - free of charge.