Finance Score: 5
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 12
  • Future income +5
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +12
Overall GiG Score: 26 ?

BRISTOL LAW CENTRE

The Law Centre provides legal advice and advocacy service for unwaged and low paid people and for people experiencing unlawful discrimination
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government and there are significant future grants due to be received
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
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
31/03/23£1,029£986£43£0£972£97211.82496
31/03/22£897£838£60£0£930£93013.32460
31/03/21£1,052£1,029£23£0£870£87010.12782
31/03/20£1,014£996£18£0£847£84710.220129
31/03/19£981£941£40£0£828£82810.62070
31/03/18£1,213£812£402£0£789£78911.7200
31/03/17*£896£892£4£0£387£3875.2270
31/03/16*£704£806£-102£0£383£3835.7220
31/03/15£815£862£-47£8£230£2303.2160
31/03/14£933£880£52£7£277£600.8180
31/03/13£910£888£22£6£224£1842.5200
31/03/12£751£737£14£6£188£1883.1180
31/03/11£789£774£15£6£188£1882.9170
31/03/10£783£774£9£774£187£1872.9180
31/03/09*£442£512£-70n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/08*£588£600£-12£5£256£2485140
31/03/07£618£609£9£5£268£2565140
31/03/06*£561£528£32n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£505£486£19n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/04£505£501£4n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 23%
Liabilities/Income: 28%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 11.8 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 1.1
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 28 years
(38 years as a company)

www.bristollawcentre.org.uk

reception@bristollawcentre.org.uk

01179248662

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Education/Training
  • Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
GiG Classification
  • Legal & financial advice
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
Where it operates
  • Bath And North East Somerset, Bristol City, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire,
Who it helps
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • 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.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Justice Together Initiative£518,000
Three Guineas Trust£497,703
The Legal Education Foundation£210,660
Access to Justice Foundation£162,900
AB Charitable Trust£82,000
Quartet Community Foundation£56,684
DCMS£42,455
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Three Guineas Trust - Welfare rights advice and legal representation for disabled people
£225,000 22/12/2023
Welfare rights advice and legal representation for disabled people
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Bristol Law Centre
£22,000 28/06/2023
An unrestricted grant of £22,000 (This grant is renewable - year 2 of up to 3 years)This grant includes a 10% cost of living uplift. Bristol Law Centre delivers specialist legal advice, casework and ....more
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2023
£112,038 25/05/2023
A grant to Bristol Law Centre to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 10
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£10,000 31/03/2023
As requested by the donor to support free legal advice services in Bristol
Three Guineas Trust - Cost of living
£5,000 23/01/2023
To help with the effects of the rise in cost of living on the charity's operation
Justice Together Initiative - Strengthening access to specialist immigration advice in the South West of England
£500,000 23/11/2022
Strengthening access to specialist immigration advice across the SW, by boosting advice capacity, skills development and collaboration among 6 community-based advice providers coordinated by Bristol ....more
Access to Justice Foundation - Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS)
£82,500 13/09/2022
Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS) is a programme of The Access to Justice Foundation with the Ministry of Justice. We are working with organisations to sustain and improve access to early social ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Bristol Law Centre
£20,000 30/06/2022
An unrestricted grant of £20,000 (This grant is renewable - year 1 of up to 3 years). Bristol Law Centre delivers specialist legal advice, casework and representation throughout Bristol across ....more
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£10,000 11/04/2022
As requested by the donor to support free legal advice services in Bristol
Access to Justice Foundation - Spring Grants Round 2022
£15,000 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.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£10,000 18/03/2022
12
Supporting a day a week of communication and outreach to emerging community groups and excluded communities to inform them of services and how to secure their legal rights.
Justice Together Initiative - Development grant to strengthen capacity and coordination in the South West in delivery of specialist immigration advice
£18,000 17/12/2021
A grant to fund a consultant to identify the challenges currently facing the South West in terms of the provision of specialist immigration advice and to come up with proposals for a more accessible, ....more
Three Guineas Trust - Student-led disability benefits advice and representation service
£215,000 09/11/2021
Student-led disability benefits advice and representation service
Three Guineas Trust - Salary of a development officer
£15,000 09/11/2021
Salary of a development officer
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£60,000 09/08/2021
A flexible grant as part of wave 2 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID86
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Bristol Law Centre
£20,000 01/07/2021
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. Bristol Law Centre provides specialist legal advice, casework and representation to people living in the city and surrounding counties of Somerset and ....more
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2021
£98,622 24/03/2021
A grant to Bristol Law Centre to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 8.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£10,000 23/03/2021
As requested by the donor to support free legal advice services in Bristol
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£2,000 09/02/2021
As requested by the donor to support free legal advice services in Bristol
Three Guineas Trust - Extension of student volunteer legal advice service
£37,703 21/10/2020
To test the feasibility of extending the successful student volunteer legal advice service for disability benefits to become a fully remote service with North Bristol Advice Centre and Greater ....more
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£5,400 19/10/2020
A flexible grant as part of wave 1 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID19
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£42,455 09/10/2020
"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
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£4,684 30/04/2020
To support the extension and development of 2 phone advice lines. An extension of the current weekly Employment phone line and the development of a new weekly immigration helpline.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£5,000 03/02/2020
As requested by the donor towards providing free information and legal advice to people in need.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£5,000 27/01/2020
As requested by the donor towards providing free information and legal advice to people in need.
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Bristol Law Centre
£20,000 09/01/2020
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. Bristol Law Centre delivers specialist legal advice and representation across housing, employment, community care, discrimination, welfare benefits, immigration and ....more
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£5,000 06/09/2019
An award from Royal London to Bristol Law Centre for providing free specialist legal advice and representation for people experience significant disadvantage.
Quartet Community Foundation - Legal Expenses Insurance ('LEI'): Access to Justice and Alternative Income Streams
£3,000 17/07/2019
12
Towards a financial sustainability project for Avon Law Centre.
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Avon and Bristol Law Centre
£25,000 16/10/2018
refurbishment of offices for a charity which works with disadvantaged minority communities in Bristol
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£2,500 20/08/2018
As requested by the donor towards appointing a pro bono co-ordinator.
Three Guineas Trust - Benefits legal advice and representation project
£202,584 14/05/2018
student-led welfare benefits legal advice and representation project, and help for other agencies develop similar schemes
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Avon and Bristol Law Centre
£20,000 23/01/2018
£20,000 towards the running costs of the asylum and immigration team. Avon and Bristol Law Centre provides free legal advice, casework and representation for social welfare.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Bristol Law Centre
£119,605 09/02/2017
36
This project will provide legal support to young people who need representation to regularise their legal status. This will increase their access to support services they need, reduce financial ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Just Ask
£499,781 03/03/2016
60
A project to support young people aged 16-24 in hardship crisis, the project will include access to a range of specialist and general advice, legal advice, training and support. The scheme will also ....more
AB Charitable Trust - Access to justice through legal representation
£15,000 26/01/2016
£15,000 towards legal casework costs for victims of domestic violence and trafficking
Three Guineas Trust - Legal representation project
£147,000 28/10/2015
Towards its legal representation project for benefit appeals.
National Lottery Community Fund - Bristol Advice Network
£323,131 19/04/2013
36
The aim of this new project is to develop a range of initiatives engaging smaller advice providers and linking to neighbouring ASTF partnership applicants, which will improve effectiveness and ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 30-57
  • CHRISTIAN CARTER Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Head Of Organisational Development
  • DR HANNAH PEARCE Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Research Impact And Knowledge Exchange Manager
  • DR OLIVER GEOFFREY WILLIAM LEWIS Appointed: 2015, Occupation: Lawyer
  • EMMA LOUISE HARVEY Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Chief Executive
  • JILL VALERIE WALSH Appointed: 2022, Occupation: School Manager
  • JONATHAN LOCKE LOVIBOND Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Finance Management Trainee
  • NICKY AUGUSTE Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Substance Use Specialist Worker
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 05/11/1996, number: 1059022
  • Registered at Companies House on 24/01/1986, number: 01982371
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Other Regulators
  • Financial Conduct Authority
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR17: 2 days late, AR16: 1 days late, AR09: 3 days late, AR08: 0 days late, AR06: 356 days late,
Main office

Bristol Law Centre
2 Hide Market
West Street
St. Philips
BRISTOL
BS2 0BH

Objectives

1. Objects1.1 The Objects of the Charity are: (a) The relief of financial hardship and other forms of distress in the designated area through the provision of legal and other advisory representation and information services to people who could not otherwise obtain them through lack of means(b) The advancement of education among people resident or working in the designated area in respect of the law and the administration of justice, having regard especially to those areas of law which are of particular concern to people experiencing financial hardship or other forms of distress.(c) The advancement of such other charitable purposes as are beneficial to the community for persons resident or working in the designated area1.2 This provision may be amended by special resolution but only with the prior written consent of the Commission.

Defined Area of Benefit:

BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET, SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE, CORNWALL, DEVON, DORSET, SOMERSET, GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND WILTSHIRE

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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