Finance Score: 3

Governance Score: 8

Support Score: 6

Liabilities <10%: +3

12+ Trustees: -1
Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Overall weighted support: +3

Overall GiG Score: 17

BAR PRO BONO UNIT

The Bar Pro Bono Unit is a charity which helps to find pro bono (free) legal assistance from volunteer barristers throughout England and Wales.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
The charity has received modest backing from a grant maker
This charity has a robust balance sheet
Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

There are 15 trustees whereas the Charities Commission recommends a maximum of 12
Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

There has been a change of accounting period recently, so trends may be hard to determine

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

N.B. data has been adjusted to reflect year end change

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit £k	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
30/06/23		£1,000	£981	£19	£98	£633	£631	7.7	23	900
30/06/22?		£963	£914	£48	£99	£615	£605	7.9	18	4,429
31/03/21		£865	£562	£303	£60	£566	£562	12	15	4,300
31/03/20		£740	£706	£34	£63	£263	£263	4.5	16	4,075
31/03/19		£821	£723	£98	£59	£229	£229	3.8	14	4,000
31/03/18		£660	£662	£-2	£28	£131	£131	2.4	14	0
31/03/17?		£651	£716	£-64	£33	£133	£133	2.2	13	0
31/12/15		£519	£472	£47	£12	£197	£195	5	11	0
31/12/14		£392	£435	£-43	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/13		£381	£341	£40	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/12		£319	£305	£14	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/11?		£257	£248	£9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/10		£252	£283	£-31	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/09		£255	£227	£28	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/08		£244	£221	£24	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/07		£222	£226	£-3	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/06		£194	£182	£12	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/05	*	£186	£158	£28	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/03/04	*	£116	£111	£5	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 10.4%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 10%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 9%
Highest pay band: £70,000-£80,000
Liabilities/Assets: 5%
Liabilities/Income: 3%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 7.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 8 months
Quick Ratio: 19.3

Asset Split ?

Balance Sheet History

Established: 28 years

www.weareadvocate.org.uk

enquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk

02070923960

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Other Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Legal & financial advice

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information

Where it operates

Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

The General Public/Mankind

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Access to Justice Foundation - Spring Grants Round 2022
£10,000	30/03/2022	The 2022 Spring Grants Round aims to support the provision pro bono provision throughout the UK, at a regional and/or local level.
Access to Justice Foundation - 1. ATJF National Grant 2021/23
£20,000	08/09/2021	1. Through this funding, the Foundation aims to support the sustainability and efficiency of pro bono help for those going through the legal system alone. Therefore the organisations were given ....more 1. Through this funding, the Foundation aims to support the sustainability and efficiency of pro bono help for those going through the legal system alone. Therefore the organisations were given flexibility in their proposals to suggest allocation to their core costs and activities or to support a specific project or role.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£5,000	31/07/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (15)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 13/15 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 30-50

CONALL PATTON QC Appointed: 2020

DAVID PHILIP JOSEPH QC Appointed: 2022

ELEANOR HOLLAND Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Barrister

JUDITH ELIZABETH OGDEN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Barrister And Fee Paid Employment Judge

LISA DEBORA WATTS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Marketing Consultant

MALVIKA JAGANMOHAN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Barrister

MICHAEL PEARSON HAYTON Appointed: 2022

NATASHA JANE BELLINGER Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Barrister

PAUL JOSEPH WILSON Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Ceo And Director Of Clerking

RAJINDER SINGH GATAORA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Senior Director Of Reporting/Systems/Esg

RICHARD GEORGE WHEELER Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Barrister

RICHARD HAZIM KHALDI Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Chambers Director

SARAH KATHERINE ABRAM-LLOYD Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Barrister

SHARIF ASIM SHIVJI (Chair) Appointed: 2014, Occupation: Barrister

THEODORE HUCKLE QC Appointed: 2020

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 19/08/1996, number: 1057620
Registered at Companies House on 13/08/1996, number: 03237309

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

19 returns made; AR05: 1 days late, AR04: 1 days late,

Main office

Advocate, IDRC
1 Paternoster Lane
LONDON
EC4M 7BQ

Objectives

TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION IN RELATION TO THE PROSECUTION OR DEFENCE OF ACTIONS BEFORE THE COURTS AND TRIBUNALS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OR THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OR THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS BY PERSONS WHO BY REASON OF THEIR INADEQUATE MEANS ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN SUCH ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION FROM THEIR OWN RESOURCES.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED