Finance Score: 2

Governance Score: 1

Support Score: 7

Poor Liquidity: -1
Fundraising costs low: +3

Narrow trustee age band: -2
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +7

Overall GiG Score: 10

COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE(NORTHAMPTON AND COUNTY)

We provide independent and confidential specialist legal advice to residents of Northamptonshire .We provide a comprehensive casework service from the beginning to the conclusion of the case, including representation at court / tribunal if necessary, in the areas of Welfare Benefits, Immigration, Debt, Fuel Poverty and Housing.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
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 gender

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

The Board has little diversity in terms of age

Financial issues to consider:

Liquidity appears to have been slender at the latest year end

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23	£1,100	£1,132	£-32	£13	£208	£189	2	31	3
31/03/22	£1,171	£1,121	£49	£0	£240	£204	2.2	33	1
31/03/21	£1,213	£1,133	£80	£0	£191	£138	1.5	34	1
31/03/20	£1,239	£1,281	£-42	£0	£111	£46	0.4	38	2
31/03/19	£1,273	£1,271	£3	£0	£153	£116	1.1	38	3
31/03/18	£1,029	£1,060	£-32	£0	£150	£149	1.7	38	0
31/03/17	£1,196	£1,201	£-6	£0	£182	£177	1.8	38	0
31/03/16	£1,259	£1,267	£-8	£0	£187	£180	1.7	38	0
31/03/15	£1,295	£1,293	£3	£4	£195	£176	1.6	37	0
31/03/14	£1,306	£1,313	£-7	£4	£193	£193	1.8	33	0
31/03/13	£1,438	£1,401	£37	£6	£199	£199	1.7	37	0
31/03/12	£1,549	£1,616	£-67	£6	£162	£162	1.2	32	0
31/03/11	£1,485	£1,430	£55	£3	£229	£229	1.9	43	0
31/03/10	£1,588	£1,412	£176	£5	£175	£175	1.5	40	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.2%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.2%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 24%
Liabilities/Income: 6%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 91%
Reserves/Spending: 2 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 3.3

Asset Split ?

Established: 15 years

www.communitylawservice.org.uk

enquiries@communitylawservice.org.uk

01604621038

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

GiG Classification

Social & legal advocacy

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information

Where it operates

Northamptonshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

31 employees
3 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

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

Major supporters in last 5 years

Access to Justice Foundation	£179,128
National Lottery Community Fund	£10,000
Northamptonshire Community Foundation	£7,243

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Grant to COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE (NORTHAMPTON & COUNTY)
£4,286	07/12/2023	Ongoing wraparound support service to continue the delivery of HSF vouchers.
Northamptonshire Community Foundation - Telephone Triage Worker
£2,958	12/06/2023	Telephone Triage Worker
Access to Justice Foundation - Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support (IOTLS) grant
£30,628	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 ....more 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 tribunal proceedings where possible. Where court or tribunal proceedings are needed, we expect the grant to provide the support needed to help people navigate the process effectively, including where support to prepare for court and at court is required.
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£48,500	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 COVID64
National Lottery Community Fund - Advice Centre East Northamptonshire
£10,000	11/06/2021	The funding will be used to support the organisations overheads so it can continue to provide a range of intervention and support to the local rural community. Offering a range of support services ....more The funding will be used to support the organisations overheads so it can continue to provide a range of intervention and support to the local rural community. Offering a range of support services members can access appointments drop-in sessions outreach services and home visits which cover issues such as debt welfare benefits housing advice immigration and fuel poverty.
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£100,000	16/07/2020	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
National Lottery Community Fund - Northampton Advice Services Development Project
£349,992	19/04/2013 24	The aim of this new project will see Community Law Service (Northampton and County) become the lead of a seven organisation partnership to deliver a new integrated advice service, provided by an ....more The aim of this new project will see Community Law Service (Northampton and County) become the lead of a seven organisation partnership to deliver a new integrated advice service, provided by an improved referral service, increased skills and capacity of local advice providers and a new partnership website; to improve the lives of those seeking advice in Northampton.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 6/7 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 59-76

HELEN REAY Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired

STEPHEN HIBBERT Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired

MORCEA WALKER Appointed: 2014, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BLACK HISTORY ASSOCIATION,

CARMEL TERESA YOUNG Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Specialist Advisor

IAN PEARS (Chair) Appointed: 2009, Occupation: Solicitor

KEITH MOFFITT Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Marketing Director

SALLY BEARDSWORTH Appointed: 2009, Occupation: Solicitor, Other trusteeships: SIR THOMAS WHITE'S NORTHAMPTON CHARITY, THE HENRY AND ELIZABETH LINEHAM FUND, KERR HOUSE CHARITY, KINGSTHORPE MANOR AND TOWN CHARITY, THE KINGSTHORPE MOORS TRUST,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 20/03/2009, number: 1128718
Registered at Companies House on 26/02/2009, number: 06830503

Gift Aid

NOT 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
Investing charity funds 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

14 returns made; all on time

Main office

Community Law Service
Hazelwood Business House
49-53 Hazelwood Road
Northampton
NN1 1LG

Objectives

THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE TO PROMOTE ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THEBENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING, THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, THE PROTECTIONOF HEALTH, THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS' BY THE PROVISION OF SOCIALWELFARE LAW ADVICE, INFORMATION, REPRESENTATION AND TRAINING AND CONSULTANCYSERVICES

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LOCAL

Data Sources