LawWorks expands offer of free legal advice to small charities and community groups

LawWorks is expanding its pro bono legal advice programme to help more small charities, community groups and social enterprises.

The scheme helped over 140 not-for-profit organisations last year by giving them access to volunteer lawyers through LawWorks, which recognises the vital role that these organisations have in their communities and is keen to do more this year. The organisations receiving help from LawWorks are commonly dealing with needs related to poverty, disability, abuse, social exclusion, and special educational requirements.

As charities play an ever-more prominent role in the provision of vital services in the face of swingeing cuts by the government, they have also come under more scrutiny, so access to lawyers who can ensure legal and regulatory compliance, as well as help with risk management, is crucial.

Martin Barnes, chief executive of LawWorks, said: “We are keen to ensure that smaller charities and not-for-profits are aware they can get free legal advice through this LawWorks programme. Timely legal advice can be vital to ensuring small not-for-profits are robust enough to survive. By supporting these organisations, which in turn provide lifelines to vulnerable communities, the LawWorks Not-For-Profits Programme reaches far beyond the immediate recipients of the original legal advice.”