Finance Score: 3
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 14
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +11
Overall GiG Score: 23 ?

SOUTH WEST LONDON LAW CENTRES

Legal Advice, Assistance and Representation.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age 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£1,569£1,544£25£42£641£5013.932400
31/03/22£1,509£1,574£-65£39£616£4963.837400
31/03/21£1,707£1,527£181£39£681£5394.241400
31/03/20£1,569£1,527£42£40£500£4413.538400
31/03/19£1,598£1,538£60£61£458£470.432400
31/03/18£1,683£1,519£164£74£398£3662.9320
31/03/17£1,629£1,691£-62£101£235£1921.4300
31/03/16£1,205£1,229£-24£60£296£2922.9250
31/03/15£1,120£1,247£-127£91£337£3253.1330
31/03/14£1,242£1,213£29£91£464£4544.5320
31/03/13£1,309£1,265£43£61£268£2632.5290
31/03/12*£1,457£1,392£65£64£225£2251.9320
31/03/11£1,975£1,941£34£56£159£1591430
31/03/10£1,842£1,933£-92£54£126£1090.7390
31/03/09*£1,909£1,773£136£54£217£2011.4360
31/03/08£1,641£1,736£-95£62£82£650.5390
31/03/07£1,764£1,669£96£51£177£1481.1380
31/03/06*£421£369£52n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£30£0£29n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 2.7%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 2.7%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 42%
Liabilities/Income: 30%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 78%
Reserves/Spending: 3.9 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 0.7
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 21 years

www.swllc.org

enquiries@swllc.org

020 8767 2777

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Education/Training
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
GiG Classification
  • Legal & financial advice
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Croydon, Kingston Upon Thames, Merton, Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton, Wandsworth,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • People With Disabilities
  • 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
National Lottery Community Fund£494,320
Trust for London£422,480
Access to Justice Foundation£203,907
City Bridge Trust£104,000
The Legal Education Foundation£92,000
AB Charitable Trust£82,000
London Legal Support Trust£30,000
DCMS£23,685
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2023
£10,000 28/12/2023
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice sector.
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to South West London Law Centres
£22,000 20/04/2023
An unrestricted grant of £22,000 (Year 3 of 3 years)This grant includes a 10% cost of living uplift. South West London Law Centres provide legal casework and representation in social welfare law covering community care, debt, employment, housing, ....more
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2022
£10,000 22/12/2022
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice sector.
Access to Justice Foundation - Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS)
£97,500 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 welfare and family legal advice, to enable users ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - SWLLC Wraparound
£494,320 01/08/2022
The project is using funding to provide early intervention through legal advice and wraparound care to disrupt the cycle of crisis for the most vulnerable so they can improve their lives and reach their own potential in the longer term. The aim is ....more
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£120,000 29/06/2022
The funding is for specialist employment advice, casework and representation through a mixture of free and fee paying services to work alongside and supplement the extensive pro bono clinic service.
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£150,000 29/06/2022
The funding is for a campaign on behalf of tenants of TA across Wandsworth and Croydon, working with the community to give them a public voice. This will be in partnership with Citizens Advice Croydon. Alongside this South West London Law Centres ....more
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2022
£92,000 15/06/2022
A grant to South West London Law Centres to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 9. Co-funded by Trust for London.
Access to Justice Foundation - Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support (IOTLS) grant
£40,407 23/05/2022
The funding programme aims to support organisations working to sustain and improve access to early social welfare and family legal support and advice, to enable users to resolve these problems as early as possible and avoid the need for court or ....more
Crowdfunder - Local Action Fund
£2,725 05/05/2022
Covid response
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to South West London Law Centres
£20,000 18/03/2022
An unrestricted grant of £20,000 (This grant is renewable - year 2 of up to 3 years). South West London Law Centres provide legal casework and representation in social welfare law covering community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration ....more
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2021
£10,000 14/12/2021
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice sector.
Community Foundation for Surrey - Community Engagement
£5,000 01/11/2021
11
Funding towards a Community Engagement Officer to engage in legal education, training and to assist with pro-bono strategy in Surrey
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£60,000 11/08/2021
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 COVID75
City Bridge Trust - Grant to South West London Law Centres
£104,000 26/07/2021
24
£104,000 over two further and final years (£51,500, £52,500) towards a full-time Client Services Support Worker and associated project costs.
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£51,500 02/06/2021
12
The funding is take forward the work of ELAN which has proved essential during the COVID 19 crisis and needs to be continued through the employment of a part- time Director/Co-ordinator, with some administrative support and specialist consultancy ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to South West London Law Centres
£20,000 22/04/2021
An unrestricted grant of £20,000 (This grant is renewable - year 1 of up to 3 years). South West London Law Centres provide legal casework and representation in social welfare law covering community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration ....more
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£50,000 11/03/2021
The funding is for core funding to support the organisation to build sustainable future and strengthen relationship with the local community. This will encompass a variety of activities, including legal education, training and awareness raising. The ....more
The London Community Foundation - Grant to South West London Law Centres
£5,000 24/02/2021
3
Salary costs for our Crisis Navigator and a small fund to support the immediate needs of those in crisis. The project provides a link between our housing and debt teams, helping people to stabilise their situation in the short term, to allow for ....more
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£6,000 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
£23,685 29/09/2020
"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 operate, thereby reducing the burden on public ....more
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£16,600 19/08/2020
6
The funding is to co-ordinate the delivery of legal advice and assistance by the Employment Legal Advice Network (ELAN) members involving all employment issues arising out of the Covid-19 crisis and liaise across the not-for-profit- sector generally ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to South West London Law Centres
£20,000 23/04/2020
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. The Law Centre provides legal casework and representation in social welfare law covering community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration & asylum and public law
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£34,380 03/04/2020
6
The funding is for the creation of a new consultancy post, to co-ordinate the provision of information, delivery of legal advice and assistance by members of ELAN in relation to all COVID19 employment issues and liaise across the not-for-profit- ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - New website
£10,000 11/10/2019
12
New website
Trust for London - South West London Law Centres
£97,000 10/10/2019
36
The funding is for the continuation of specialist employment advice, casework and representation through a mixture of free and fee paying services. The service will work alongside and supplement the Centre's extensive pro bono clinic service.
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to South West London Law Centres
£15,000 15/10/2018
£15,000 towards a Communications Officer. South West London Law Centres help people gain access to justice, by providing specialist legal advice on debt, housing, employment, benefits and immigration. They are able to provide these services through ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to South West London Law Centres
£165,900 24/11/2016
36
£165,900 over three years (£54,800, £55,300, £55,800) towards a full-time Client Services Support Worker and associated project costs.
National Lottery Community Fund - Stepping Stones to Stability: Collaboration across SW London
£417,654 15/03/2016
60
The centres will work with people facing destitution, loss of home, bailiffs and deportation. Emergency needs will be addressed such as clothing, travel and shelter and then immediate legal issues will be resolved. Post crisis point, beneficiaries ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - SWLLC Infrastructure Access Project
£10,000 29/03/2012
12
This is a project by a charity in Wandsworth, serving South West London. The group will use the funding to install a new telephone system across their five offices and update their website to provide information on their legal advice services. This ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (10)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 33-69
  • ALLAN BLAKE (Chair) Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Director And Company Secretary
  • DAVID JACKSON Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Management Consultant
  • JAMES WAUGH Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Civil Servant
  • MELANIE DOROTHEA FELTEN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Office Manager
  • NIMMISHA ASLAM Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Solicitor
  • SARAH LOUISE BERGSTROM Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Senior Legal Manager
  • SARMAD MEHMOOD QURESHI Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Finance Director
  • SIMON TINKLER Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Solicitor
  • SUSAN RENNIE FIELD Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Solicitor
  • THEODORE CHARLES WATKINS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Solicitor
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 02/03/2004, number: 1102433
  • Registered at Companies House on 19/01/2004, number: 05018587
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Other Regulators
  • Financial Conduct Authority
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
  • 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
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; AR12: 120 days late, AR09: 2 days late, AR06: 1 days late,
Main office

South West London Law Centres
5th Floor Davis House
Robert Street
CROYDON
CR0 1QQ

Objectives

3.1 THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, SUFFERING AND DISTRESS AMONG, PERSONS RESIDENT OR WORKING OR IN FULL-TIME EDUCATION IN SOUTH WEST LONDON INCLUDING THE BOROUGHS OF WANSWORTH, MERTON, KINGSTON UPON THAMES, RICHMOND UPON THAMES, CROYDON AND SUTTON (AND IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, RESIDENTS OF OTHER AREAS) (SOUTHWEST LONDON AREA), BY THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE, ASSISTANCE, REPRESENTATION; AND3.2 THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AMONG PERSONS RESIDENT OR WORKING IN THE SOUTH WEST LONDON AREA BY THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION IN RESPECT OF THE LAW AND THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES.3.3 THE PROMOTION OF SUCH OTHER PURPOSES BEING EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

WANDSWORTH, MERTON, KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES, RICHMOND, SUTTON AND CROYDON

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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