Finance Score: 1
Governance Score: 8
Support Score: 13
  • Low unrestricted reserves: -2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • 12+ Trustees: -1
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +13
Overall GiG Score: 22 ?

THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION

The Access to Justice Foundation receives and distributes additional financial resources to support the provision of free of charge (pro bono) legal assistance to those in need. The Foundation is the recipient of Pro Bono Costs under Section 194 Legal Services Act 2007. Working with the Legal Support Trusts and national organisations, it makes grants to support pro bono projects.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • 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 gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • This charity only provides its support via other charities
  • There are 13 trustees whereas the Charities Commission recommends a maximum of 12

Financial issues to consider:

  • Unrestricted reserves appear to be dangerously low at the latest year end

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
31/12/23£10,739£7,326£3,413£141£4,421£5260.9120
31/12/22£7,066£7,418£-352£174£1,008£4910.8108
31/12/21£7,716£7,335£381£133£1,360£60111510
31/12/20£11,599£11,114£485£110£980£4930.51215
31/12/19£2,441£2,359£81£156£495£3821.9830
31/12/18£2,252£2,365£-113£93£413£2201.160
31/12/17£1,883£2,016£-133£97£527£3682.250
31/12/16£2,233£2,105£128£83£659£1951.140
31/12/15£1,988£1,811£176£41£532£3432.330
31/12/14£926£703£223£37£355£2975.120
31/12/13£220£163£58n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/12£188£142£46n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/11£116£125£-8n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/10£44£18£26n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/09£39£29£10n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.3%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.9%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 1%
Highest pay band: £70,000-£80,000
Liabilities/Assets: 3%
Liabilities/Income: 1%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 12%
Reserves/Spending: 0.9 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 7 months
Quick Ratio: 32.3
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 16 years

www.accesstojusticefoundation.org.uk

enquiries@atjf.org.uk

02045228400

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
GiG Classification
  • Legal & financial advice
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Makes grants to organisations
Where it operates
  • Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,
Who it helps
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies

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£30,000,000
Ministry of Justice£14,943,749
DCMS£2,400,000
The Legal Education Foundation£798,000
Esmee Fairbairn£530,000
Indigo Trust£500,000
AB Charitable Trust£396,000
Paul Hamlyn Foundation£300,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£33,000 14/03/2024
A restricted grant of £33,000 towards the Pre-Action Protocol Project to be delivered by Deighton Pierce Glynn (Year 3 of 3 years). A project to develop and oversee Pre-Action Protocol (PAP) letters ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Improving Lives Through Advice (ILTA)
£30,000,000 07/06/2023
Funding will be used to provide access to specialist social welfare legal advice. Approximately 75 expert organisations will be supported to help some of the most marginalised communities in England ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£33,000 22/12/2022
A restricted grant of £33,000 towards the Pre-Action Protocol Project to be delivered by Deighton Pierce Glynn (This grant is renewable - year 2 of up to 3 years)This grant includes a 10% cost of ....more
Indigo Trust - Towards the Community Justice Fund
£100,000 25/10/2022
Towards the Community Justice Fund's Wave 3 awards to frontline legal advice organisations
Ministry of Justice - Help Accessing Legal Support
£3,200,000 01/08/2022
To support individuals resolve their civil and family legal problems. It will build on the evidence and experience we have gathered from delivery of our previous grants. Funding in this sector aims ....more
Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - Grant to The Access to Justice Foundation
£500 19/05/2022
The work of the north east legal support trust
Ministry of Justice - Cost of Living Legal Support Fund
£1,000,000 01/04/2022
To increase the amount of legal advice and support available for people who have a legal problem as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
Ministry of Justice - The Litigants in Person Support Strategy
£362,500 01/04/2022
The objectives of the grant are:1. To enhance services that support the earliest possible interventions for litigants in person, reducing the risk of their legal problems escalating;2. To develop ....more
Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - A grant to The Access to Justice Foundation
£500 16/12/2021
The work of the North East Legal Support Trust
Indigo Trust - Towards the Community Justice Fund
£100,000 20/04/2021
Contribution to the Community Justice Fund
Indigo Trust - Community Justice Fund
£100,000 20/04/2021
Contribution to the Community Justice Fund
Ministry of Justice - The Litigants in Person Support Strategy
£1,450,000 01/04/2021
To fund a support strategy which aims to provide practical support, information and a route to some free or affordable legal advice for litigants in person.
Ministry of Justice - Legal Support for Litigants in Person
£1,518,399 01/04/2021
To Enhance services that support the earliest possible interventions for litigants in person, reducing the risk of their legal problems escalating; develop services that are designed around the ....more
John Ellerman Foundation - Contribution towards the second wave of pooled funding of the Community Justice Fund
£74,000 25/03/2021
Contribution towards the second wave of pooled funding of the Community Justice Fund
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£200,000 23/02/2021
A grant towards The Community Justice Fund to help specialist social welfare legal advice organisations cope with the immediate and unprecedented pressure caused by COVID-19 pandemic and lay the ....more
Dulverton Trust - Community Justice Fund
£50,000 10/02/2021
Community Justice Fund
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to The Access to Justice Foundation
£530,000 09/02/2021
Towards delegated grant-making for the Community Justice Fund, a collaborative fund to tackle injustice arising from the pandemic and ensure everyone can get the legal support they need to access ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£30,000 26/01/2021
A restricted grant of £30,000 towards the Pre-Action Protocol Project to be delivered by Deighton Pierce Glynn (This grant is renewable - year 1 of up to 3 years). A project to develop and oversee ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£200,000 26/01/2021
A restricted grant of £200,000 towards wave 2 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID19
The Legal Education Foundation - Community Justice Fund - wave two
£500,000 16/12/2020
Community Justice Fund (CJF) is a collaborative fund aiming to support specialist social welfare legal advice organisations cope with the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lay the ....more
The Baring Foundation - Grant to The Access to Justice Foundation
£100,000 14/12/2020
A contribution to wave two of the Community Justice Fund - see attached strategy
Indigo Trust - Community Justice Fund
£100,000 24/07/2020
To be regranted through the Community Justice Fund as a response to the Covid-19 emergency
The Legal Education Foundation - Contribution to a pooled fund to support the social welfare advice sector in response to Covid-19
£298,000 26/05/2020
Contributing to the Community Justice Fund supporting specialist social welfare advice agencies to deal with the immediate impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and lay the foundations for future renewal.
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Access to Justice Foundation
£100,000 28/04/2020
A restricted grant of £100,000 towards wave 1 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID19
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - COVID19 Emergency Funding
£300,000 22/04/2020
3
Support to aid the organisation in dealing with the challenges posed by COVID19.
Indigo Trust - Community Justice Fund
£100,000 17/04/2020
To be regranted through the Community Justice Fund as a response to the Covid-19 emergency
Ministry of Justice - Covid-19 Specialist Advice Services
£2,400,000 01/04/2020
The Access to Justice Foundation has distributed £2.4m in grants to legal advice agencies, which provide specialist legal advice to people navigating the justice system. This funding has helped ....more
Ministry of Justice - Litigant in Person Support Strategy
£1,450,000 01/04/2020
To fund a Support Strategy which aims to provide practical support, information and a route to some free or affordable legal advice for Litigants in
Ministry of Justice - Legal Suppport for Litigants in Person Grant
£1,162,850 01/04/2020
The objectives of the grant are:1. Enhance services that support the earliest possible interventions for litigants in person, reducing the risk of their legal problems escalating;2. Develop services ....more
Ministry of Justice - Covid-19 Specialist Advice Support Scheme
£2,400,000 01/04/2020
Address cashflow issues for nfp advice providers during Covid-19, enabling them to adapt, expand, and continue to deliver services throughout the pandemic.
DCMS - Covid-19 Specialist Advice Services
£2,400,000 01/04/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots ....more
Ministry of Justice - The Litigants in Person Support Strategy
£1,450,000 01/04/2019
To fund a Support Strategy which aims to provide practical support, information and a route to some free or affordable legal advice for Litigants in
Ministry of Justice - Litigants in Person
£1,450,000 01/04/2018
To provide support to litigants in person to help them access sources of information and free legal advice, to assist them to navigate the court process, and where appropriate to support them to ....more
Ministry of Justice - Litigants in Person Scheme 2
£49,366 01/07/2017
To provide support to litigants in person to help them access sources of information and free legal advice, to assist them to navigate the court process, and where appropriate to support them to ....more
Ministry of Justice - Litigants in Person Scheme 1
£37,793 01/04/2017
To provide support to litigants in person to help them access sources of information and free legal advice, to assist them to navigate the court process, and where appropriate to support them to ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (13)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 11/13 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 33-65
  • ANDREW SEAGER Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • ANNE MOLYNEUX Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Retired Judge
  • AUDREY HAAXMAN Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • DES PULLEN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Charity Trustee
  • GAVIN MANSFIELD Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Barrister
  • JAMES WILLAN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Barrister
  • JOE SNAPE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • LINDSEY ALICE POOLE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Director, Advice Services Alliance
  • MAXCINE AKINSOWON Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Solicitor
  • REBECCA SAMARAS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • SACHA ROSE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Director
  • SARAH STEPHENS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • SIMON DAVIS Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Solicitor
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 03/10/2008, number: 1126147
  • Registered at Companies House on 02/10/2008, number: 06714178
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Event History
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
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • 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
15 returns made; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from THE SURREY LAW CENTRE on 20/08/2020
  • Asset transfer in from SOUTH WEST LEGAL SUPPORT TRUST on 03/12/2020
  • Asset transfer in from MIDLAND LEGAL SUPPORT TRUST on 04/07/2022
Main office

THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION
10 Queen Street Place
LONDON
EC4R 1AG

Objectives

3.1 THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUPPORT (INCLUDING SUCH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AS IS ENVISAGED BY SECTION 194 OF THE LEGAL SERVICES ACT 2007 AS AMENDED OR RE-ENACTED FROM TIME TO TIME) TO PERSONS WHO PROVIDE, OR ORGANISE OR FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF, LEGAL ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE (BY WAY OF REPRESENTATION OR OTHERWISE) WHICH IS FREE OF CHARGE (THAT IS, OTHERWISE THAN FOR OR IN EXPECTATION OF FEE, GAIN OR REWARD) AND WHICH IS PROVIDED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF SUCH ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE BY REASON OF YOUTH, AGE, ILL-HEALTH, DISABILITY, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR OTHER DISADVANTAGE; AND3.2 THE PROMOTION OF SUCH OTHER PURPOSES AIMED AT IMPROVING ACCESS TO JUSTICE BEING EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE NATIONAL

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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