LawWorks - News Articles

Building Access to Justice in Bolton: The University of Bolton Legal Advice Bureau (LAB)

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:45:00 +0000

When Asif Timol, solicitor and lecturer at the University of Bolton, opened the Legal Advice Bureau (LAB) earlier this year, the need within the community was already impossible to ignore.

Legal aid cuts and rising costs had left many residents unable to afford advice, and existing services were struggling to keep up.

“The waiting list was huge, and client appointments weren’t being offered until six or seven months down the line. It just felt completely pointless and impossible to meet the need. There’s a huge demand for free legal support here, and not much available.”

Determined to launch the clinic with a strong structure, Asif began exploring how to make it sustainable for the long term. His vision was to create something that not only gave law students real-world experience but also delivered consistent advice to local people who had nowhere else to turn. The challenge was finding the right partners and framework to make it viable, and that was where LawWorks stepped in.

Asif connected with Rebecca Howell, Head of Clinics Programme at LawWorks, who provided both strategic guidance and practical tools to support the relaunch. LawWorks facilitated a partnership between the university and Bolton Central Library, creating a community-facing space where clients could access advice in the town centre. The team also reached out to local firms including AFG Law and Joe Egan Solicitors, bringing volunteer solicitors into the project from its earliest stages.

The joint efforts were successful, and the clinic now runs on the second Tuesday of each month, offering around 15 to 20 appointments per session. Eleven law students are currently involved, handling client enquiries, triage, and follow-up work under solicitor supervision. For many, it is their first experience of face-to-face client contact, and the impact has been immediate.

“The students are very grateful for the experience. They see first-hand how that 30-minute appointment can make a real difference. For many clients, it’s advice they’d never have been able to access otherwise.”

LawWorks’ support has been practical and hands-on from the beginning. Beyond making introductions, it helped the team put strong foundations in place, from policies and training materials to volunteer recruitment and guidance. That ongoing advice, combined with national recognition through the Clinics Network, has given the Bolton clinic both credibility and the ability to be a part of a wider pro bono community.

“LawWorks takes away a lot of the time and effort it takes to get started. They reached out to firms for us, shared templates and policies, and even helped us build our student induction using their training materials. I genuinely don’t think I could have managed it without them. It’s not just a network, it’s a partnership that makes access to justice possible.”

Asif’s commitment to access to justice and to his local community has shaped every part of the University of Bolton Legal Advice Bureau. His work, supported by LawWorks and local partners, shows how collaboration can turn ideas into action. What began as a small initiative is now helping people across Bolton find the legal help they need, and inspiring others to see pro bono as a shared responsibility.

The LawWorks Clinics Network supports over 300 free legal advice clinics across England and Wales, helping thousands of people each year who cannot afford legal support. By providing resources, training and partnerships, LawWorks helps clinics like the University of Bolton Legal Advice Bureau reach more people and strengthen access to justice in their communities.

You can help support this work by donating to LawWorks and supporting the expansion of free legal advice services across the country.

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Empowering Families Through Pro Bono: The University of Bedfordshire Family Law Clinic

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:19:00 +0000

In Bedfordshire, a new generation of lawyers is helping families find their way through some of the most difficult moments in life.

Launched in January 2025, the University of Bedfordshire Family Law Clinic was founded to bridge a widening gap in access to justice. Cuts to legal aid have left many people unable to afford legal representation, particularly in family matters where emotions run high and the consequences are deeply personal. The clinic offers free advice and guidance to those who might otherwise have to face the courts alone.

Since its opening, more than 200 people have turned to the clinic for help. Each enquiry represents someone navigating a period of uncertainty, a parent seeking custody, a couple separating, a family trying to find stability again. Eighty have already received detailed advice from student volunteers working under the supervision of qualified solicitors, and many more have been supported through follow up contact and signposting to other services:

“I felt listened to and supported. They gave me advice step by step and helped me understand what to do next.”

“They gave me the confidence to go to court and speak for myself.”

At its heart, the clinic is both a service and a learning space. For the students who volunteer, it is a chance to step out of the classroom and see what justice looks like in practice. They learn how to listen, to communicate clearly, and to handle sensitive situations with empathy. Each appointment helps them understand not only the technical side of the law but its human weight.

“The benefit to the students is seeing how their academic studies can equip them with legal knowledge and skills that can be applied to help others in real life situations” - Christine Quinlan, clinic co-ordinator.

Behind the clinic’s success lies a spirit of collaboration. It is part of the LawWorks Clinics Network, which supports more than 300 free legal advice clinics across England and Wales. LawWorks has worked alongside the University from the outset, helping to establish systems, provide training materials, and ensure that every client receives advice that meets professional standards. The clinic also works closely with Duncan Lewis Solicitors Ltd., whose family law team assists in reviewing cases and supporting the student volunteers.

“LawWorks has helped us make sure the clinic runs smoothly and safely, both for clients and for our students. It has been invaluable to have their expertise and practical guidance.”

Together, these partnerships have built something enduring, a model where learning and service strengthen one another. Families receive life changing support, and students gain the experience and conviction that will shape their future careers.

“Pro bono clinics like Bedfordshire’s play an essential role in ensuring people can get the advice they need when they need it. They also help inspire the next generation of lawyers to see access to justice as part of their professional responsibility.” - Rebecca Howell, Head of Clinics at LawWorks

The University of Bedfordshire Family Law Clinic stands as part of a wider network of people and organisations committed to keeping justice within reach. It is a reminder that the law is not only about rules and remedies, but about people, and that when education and compassion meet, the impact can ripple far beyond the walls of a university.

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Cardiff University Law Clinic Marks Its First Anniversary

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:06:00 +0000

8 November 2025 marks one year since the launch of the Cardiff University Law Clinic, based in the Cardiff Civil and Family Court. The clinic was established in partnership with Support Through Court (STC), who are also based in the court and can refer clients directly for legal advice.

From the beginning, the clinic was shaped by real community need. STC had seen first-hand how many of their clients were struggling to find legal help, especially with housing and family issues, and this became the clinic’s focus. Today, it provides advice across housing, family and selected small claims cases, from possession proceedings and disrepair to divorce, child arrangements and non-molestation orders.

In its first year, the clinic has held 129 client appointments and issued 110 detailed advice letters. A further 151 people received tailored signposting through online queries, supported by resources from the Pro Bono Committee’s Wales group. Referrals have come from all corners of the community: family officers in local schools, GP practices, NHS teams and mental health networks such as the Hamadryad Centre. Clients have found their way to the clinic through these networks, through word of mouth, and sometimes just by scrolling on social media. With both remote and in-person appointments available, its reach now extends across Wales.

Behind each statistic is a person who has been listened to, supported and empowered to take the next step. One housing client, a single mother caring for her autistic adult son, was terrified of losing her home. With advice from the clinic, she was able to file her defence with a payment proposal, resulting in a suspended possession order on her terms.

[The Law Clinic] was magnificent. The service I had was great, they went above and beyond. They helped me with everything...

Another client, facing ongoing divorce proceedings, had stopped attending court because he could no longer afford legal representation. The clinic helped him understand the process, arranged support from an STC volunteer for his next hearing, and helped him avoid further costs.

For the student advisors, this work has been just as transformative:

My pro bono work this year has been the highlight of my undergraduate degree and I am sincerely grateful to the team! I take such pride in my role and I am certain that it has and will continue to shape my personal and professional life. - Hollie M

I remember one of the first few clients I advised - someone much older than me - telling me how much of a difference I had made in their lives. This struck me as I had not realised that my small sacrifice of a few hours a week could have such a significant impact. - Taona M

Over the past year, the clinic has also welcomed the Solicitor General for a visit and offered students the chance to shadow judges sitting at the Cardiff Civil and Family Court. Even through exam periods and university breaks, volunteers kept the Clinic running; proof of how deeply they believe in its mission.

The Cardiff University Law Clinic is one of more than 300 independent clinics supported through the LawWorks Clinics Network. Each one represents the same shared belief: that everyone deserves the chance to understand their rights and be heard. Together, these clinics form a community of pro bono practice across England and Wales, built on collaboration, compassion and a quiet but powerful commitment to access to justice.

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Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement: in conversation with Alun Griffith

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:07:00 +0000

At Eversheds Sutherland, we have found that successful volunteer recruitment and engagement comes down to three things: variety, support and reward. Each plays a vital role in ensuring that pro bono work remains meaningful and sustainable for everyone involved.

Variety

A wide range of opportunities helps attract volunteers from across the firm, including lawyers at all levels and business services colleagues. Some of our most successful projects bring these groups together in small, mixed teams combining legal and non-legal work to deliver real impact.

Collaboration with other law firms also widens the pool of volunteers, encourages shared learning and helps coordinate training and supervision. Sourcing pro bono work in the firm’s areas of expertise further boosts participation. The LawWorks portal is an excellent way to find UK opportunities aligned with our strengths, while TrustLaw offers similar international options. Centralised management of processes such as bid submissions and conflict checks allows volunteers to focus on what they do best: providing great legal advice.

Local engagement matters too. Partnering with law clinics gives volunteers the chance to support their own communities, providing direct advice to those in need. LawWorks plays an important role in helping firms make these connections.

Support

Comprehensive training and supervision are key to maintaining confidence, particularly for those working outside their usual practice areas. We offer both live and recorded sessions to increase accessibility, along with wellbeing support for volunteers who may encounter difficult or sensitive material. A central repository for resources and guidance ensures that everyone has the tools they need to deliver high-quality work.

Reward

Recognising and celebrating contributions keeps volunteers engaged. We highlight how pro bono work builds skills, strengthens professional relationships and provides the satisfaction of helping those who might otherwise go without support. Sharing volunteers’ stories, especially during UK Pro Bono Week, helps inspire others to get involved.

We also work with senior stakeholders to ensure contributions are valued internally and encourage participation in initiatives such as the Pro Bono Recognition List, celebrating those who dedicate 25 hours or more each year.

By focusing on variety, support and reward, we can build a thriving culture of pro bono engagement that benefits both the communities we serve and the firm as a whole.

As a LawWorks member, we recognise the importance of collaboration in sustaining the pro bono ecosystem. LawWorks provides the infrastructure, expertise and connections that make much of this work possible, linking firms to opportunities where volunteers can make the greatest impact. Together, we can continue to strengthen pro bono across the profession and make access to justice a shared reality.

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Press Release: LawWorks announces shortlist for the 2025 Pro Bono Awards

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:49:00 +0000

LawWorks is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2025 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards.

The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievement in legal pro bono by organisations and individuals across England and Wales. They highlight the extraordinary commitment of the legal sector to widening access to justice, and the creativity and collaboration that make pro bono work such a vital part of our shared professional culture.

This year’s finalists reflect the breadth and impact of pro bono in action, from law firms and in-house teams supporting national charities and community organisations, to volunteers at pro bono clinics providing free legal advice to those who would otherwise go without. Their work exemplifies how the law can be a force for fairness, opportunity, and social good.

The winners will be announced at an event at the Law Society of England and Wales, Chancery Lane, London, on Wednesday 3 December. Hosted by hosted by the media editor of The Sunday Times, Rosamund Urwin, the evening will bring together practitioners, partners, and supporters from across the profession to celebrate another remarkable year of commitment and collaboration.

On the announcement of this year’s shortlist, Rebecca Wilkinson, Chief Executive of LawWorks, said:

Congratulations to everyone who’s been shortlisted for this year’s Awards. It’s always such a privilege to see the incredible pro bono work taking place across the profession and the difference it makes to people’s lives. Every nomination tells a story of dedication, collaboration and compassion, and together they show how powerful pro bono can be in creating real change.

These Awards are an important moment to recognise that work, to thank the lawyers, firms and organisations who go above and beyond, and to remind ourselves why access to justice matters. Thank you to our judges for the tough job of choosing the shortlist, and to everyone who took the time to nominate. I’m really looking forward to celebrating with you all on December 3rd.

The shortlisted nominees for 2025 are:

Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm

Covington & Burling
Hodge Jones & Allen
Milbank
Pallas Partners

Best Contribution by a Large Firm

A&O Shearman
Brabners
Eversheds Sutherland (International)
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Travers Smith

Best Contribution by an In-house Team or an In-house Solicitor

BPP Social Impact Team, BPP Education Group
In-house legal team, nGAGE Talent Group
The University of Law Pro Bono team
Legal, Ethics and Compliance Team (Europe), Visa

Best Contribution by a Junior Lawyer

Hleb Buziuk, FairGo CIC
Caolán Duffy, Covington & Burling
Catrin Norton, Hogan Lovells International
Nick O’Neal-Kenny, Linklaters
Nik Sharma, Dechert
Jessica Tucker, Pallas Partners

The Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award (Best Contribution by an Individual

Naga Kandiah, MTC Solicitors
Ben Kerawala, Reed Smith
Emily Lim, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Hannah O'Malley, Linklaters
Hannah Owen, Charles Russell Speechlys

Best Pro Bono Contribution in Wales

Bangor University Legal Advice Clinic
Cardiff Law School Pro Bono Unit

Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic

Employment Legal Advice Service, The Growth Company
Family Law Group
King's College Legal Clinic
Legal Advice Centre, University of East London
Refugee Rights Hub, Sheffield Hallam University

Best International Pro Bono Award - in partnership with A4ID

Legal Response International and Ashurst
AsyLex - Rights in Exile Platform and Covington & Burling
UN Human Rights Committee Rulings on Reproductive Rights, Debevoise & Plimpton
Pallas Partners
Travers Smith

Best New Pro Bono Activity

Ashurst and APPEAL Case Enquiries
Bangor University Legal Advice Clinic
eVisa Guide and Support Sessions Project: Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Clyde & Co, Dechert, Linklaters and Squire Patton Boggs
Roundhouse Trust and Taylor Wessing
Sheffield Digital Justice, University of Sheffield
University of Southampton Legal Clinic

Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership

Kennedys and Bright Tide
Cardiff University Law Clinic & Support Through Court Partnership
School Exclusion Project, Coram Children's Legal Centre and A&O Shearman
The Chancery Lane Project and Ashurst
The Windrush Legal Initiative
The Young People's Life Café and Farrer & Co

Best Contribution to LawWorks Not-For-Profits Programme

Covington & Burling
HFW

Best Contribution to LawWorks Secondary Specialisation Programme

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
Pallas Partners

The Pro Bono Connect Award

Commercial Dispute Resolution Client Team, Charles Russell Speechlys
HFW
Mayer Brown
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

A special thank you to our panel of judges for their time and expertise in reviewing an exceptional range of nominations. Their thoughtful consideration helps ensure the Awards continue to recognise and celebrate the very best of pro bono across the profession:

Clare Carter, Chief Executive of The Access to Justice Foundation
Mark Evans, President of The Law Society of England and Wales
Josh Giddens, Director of Practical Guidance, LexisNexis UK & Ireland
Chris Minnoch, Director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group
Professor Richard Owen, Chair of the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee
Paul Rogerson, Editor of the Law Society Gazette
Yasmin Batliwala, Chief Executive of A4ID
Rebecca Wilkie, Chief Executive of Advocate

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How LawWorks Can Support MPs to Develop Pro Bono Legal Advice Clinics

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 09:19:00 +0000

We are pleased to share How LawWorks Can Support MPs to Develop Pro Bono Legal Advice Clinics: A Practical Guide for Parliamentarians in England and Wales.

Download the guide: How LawWorks Can Support MPs to Develop Pro Bono Legal Advice Clinics

This new guide provides practical, step-by-step advice for MPs interested in helping to establish pro bono legal clinics in their constituencies. It sets out how LawWorks can support this process, from connecting MPs with local solicitors, advice agencies and community organisations, to offering consultancy on clinic set-up, volunteer recruitment, and long-term sustainability.

Across the UK, many people face legal problems but cannot afford advice, while cuts to legal aid have left growing gaps in provision. For many constituents, this means that everyday issues such as housing disputes, employment rights, and family matters can go unresolved, often with serious consequences. Pro bono clinics help bridge that divide by providing free legal advice to those who need it most, and by strengthening the fabric of local communities.

LawWorks has long supported a network of over 300 pro bono clinics across England and Wales. By sharing our experience through this guide, we hope to make it easier for MPs to take practical local action that extends access to justice and builds new partnerships between the legal profession and community organisations.

At a time when the need for accessible legal advice continues to grow, collaboration between parliamentarians, legal professionals and the voluntary sector is vital. This guide is an invitation for MPs to be part of that effort and to help ensure that no one is left without a voice or recourse in the legal system.

Download the guide: How LawWorks Can Support MPs to Develop Pro Bono Legal Advice Clinics

If you would like a physical copy of the guide, please contact Shivani.Clancy@lawworks.org.uk.

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The Culture of Pro Bono: in conversation with Andrew Barton, Norton Rose Fulbright

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 14:18:00 +0000

Pro bono is often described in terms of time: hours given, cases closed, clients helped. But its real strength lies in its culture. A culture of pro bono is what turns professional duty into a shared purpose.

It connects lawyers, firms and communities through a common belief that the law should serve everyone, not only those who can afford it. At LawWorks, that culture comes to life every day through the partnerships we build and the people who give their time to make access to justice possible.

One firm that has embedded this ethos deeply into its work is Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. For Andrew Barton, the firm’s Pro Bono Counsel, pro bono is not an add-on to legal practice but a reflection of its core values.

Pro bono has always been part of being a lawyer. When firms were smaller, it was enough to pick up requests on an ad hoc basis. Now that firms operate internationally with hundreds of lawyers, it is right that pro bono grows and professionalises alongside that. It reflects a culture, and it helps to build one too.

At Norton Rose Fulbright, the firm encourages lawyers at every level to contribute, believing that pro bono should be part of a lawyer’s professional identity throughout their career. When it is introduced early, it shapes both skill and outlook.

Starting pro bono work early shapes the kind of lawyer you become - it builds empathy, independence and confidence. You see first-hand the challenge for someone facing a legal problem without the ability to access support, and the privileged position you are in to be able to steer them with proper advice.

The firm’s pro bono programme, like that at many firms, reaches from local charities to international projects, supporting access to justice, as well as humanitarian and environmental goals. Each initiative reinforces the same principle: that pro bono is a professional responsibility and should be treated like any other legal matter.

Through its long-standing LawWorks membership, Norton Rose Fulbright is part of a network that sustains and strengthens that culture. Working with LawWorks connects the firm to opportunities where expertise meets need, from governance advice for small charities to support for social welfare organisations. Projects such as the Not-for-Profits Programme and Secondary Specialisation have allowed Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers to contribute to the broader system of legal support that underpins the voluntary sector.

LawWorks sits at the heart of the UK’s pro bono landscape. It connects firms, charities and communities in ways that make our work more impactful. When firms work through LawWorks, they do not just help one organisation; they become part of a wider effort to make justice accessible.

That network embodies the culture that Andrew describes: one built on collaboration, generosity and shared responsibility. It is a living system that depends on shared purpose and the belief that legal expertise can be a force for change.

At its heart, that is what LawWorks exists to nurture. A culture of pro bono is not just a professional ideal but a collective practice, sustained by the people who choose to make the law a tool for justice.

To learn more about LawWorks membership, or how your organisation can take part in building this culture of pro bono, visit our website. To support the growing culture of pro bono, please consider making a donation to LawWorks, and join the cause.

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Domestic Abuse Response Alliance reaches 300 cases

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:53:00 +0000

LawWorks is proud to announce that the multi-award-winning Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA), founded by Travers Smith and supported by LawWorks since its inception, has placed its 300th case.

DARA’s network continues to grow. When founded by Travers Smith Partner and Head of Pro Bono, Sam Cottman, in 2022, it began as an alliance of seven firms. With the recent addition of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, it now comprises 11 firms, with its reach extending beyond London into cities across England. As well as providing court advocacy and legal support, DARA has trained over 350 lawyers on how best to represent survivors of domestic abuse in a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive manner.

DARA operates collaboratively with LawWorks, Beck Fitzgerald, the The National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) and FLOWS | Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors.

This milestone comes at a time of growing demand for family and domestic abuse-related legal advice across England and Wales. The latest LawWorks Clinics Network Report found that family law now accounts for 37% of all cases across our clinics, a 7.3% increase from 2023. Many clients are presenting in crisis and with multiple, interrelated legal issues, reflecting the urgent need for coordinated pro bono support. DARA’s impact demonstrates what is possible when firms and charities work together to meet that need.

Rebecca Wilkinson, Chief Executive of LawWorks says:

Reaching the 300th case is an incredible milestone for DARA and a testament to the dedication of all those involved. At a time of rising demand for family law support, this Alliance shows what collaboration across the legal sector can achieve in helping survivors access justice and rebuild their lives.

Sam Cottman, Head of Pro Bono and founder of DARA comments:

A few years ago, DARA was just an idea. To have reached 300 cases and have 11 amazing law firms representing these clients up and down the country is a very significant milestone on our journey. We are living through an unprecedented surge in violence and aggression in domestic relationships, particularly against young women. This is fuelled by a toxic online culture and new forms of digital abuse like message monitoring, social media stalking, and non-consensual image sharing. For many of these clients, DARA’s pro bono support, and that of other organisations in this sector, is not just help - it’s their only lifeline. We are proud to be able to support them and determined to continue to stand up against domestic abuse.

Jenny Beck KC says:

Protection from domestic abuse should be everybody’s right, yet restrictions on legal aid have left huge numbers of victim survivors at real risk. DARA provides a vital service. Clients can secure support and legal representation to apply for protection orders that would otherwise be unaffordable. The DARA team showcases how effective collaboration can make a real difference to people’s lives.

The DARA law firms are:

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Gibson Dunn, Latham & Watkins, Debevoise & Plimpton, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Reed Smith LLP, DLA Piper, Slaughter and May, Eversheds Sutherland, Hogan Lovells, and Travers Smith.

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Breaking Ground in a Legal Desert: West Cornwall Legal Advice Centre

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:23:00 +0000

Legal deserts are one of the most urgent justice challenges of our time. Across England and Wales, whole regions are left without free legal advice, leaving families unable to defend their homes, livelihoods and security.

Cornwall has long been one of the clearest examples of this crisis. Despite its natural beauty, it is among the most deprived regions in England, and for years there was no local provision of free legal advice. In Penzance especially, communities facing poverty and isolation had nowhere to turn.

Seeing this need, Barrister John Gallagher decided something had to change. Determined to challenge Cornwall’s legal desert, he set out to create a new pro bono service rooted in the community. He partnered with Trelya Community Centre, a hub that already supports families with food, housing and social needs, making it the natural home for a clinic linking people to legal advice and wider help.

The obstacles were immense, from funding to logistics to the specialist knowledge needed for a sustainable service. John turned to LawWorks, and from the outset Richard Lynch, Clinic Support and Development Officer for the South West, provided guidance and resources to lay the foundations.

“LawWorks’ support has been encouraging throughout, and the practical help has made a real difference. Richard, thank you for all your input and for standing with us. Without LawWorks we may not have even seen this past the first year of planning, so thank you, we truly appreciate all that you have done."

After more than two years of persistence and planning, the vision became reality. The West Cornwall Legal Advice Centre (WCLAC) opened in Penzance, the first time free legal advice has been available in Cornwall. On 25 September, it held its first advisory day, giving local people the access they had long been waiting for: advice close to home in a place that understands their needs.

The opening of WCLAC does not end Cornwall’s legal desert, but it marks the first breaking of ground in a landscape barren for too long. It proves what is possible when local determination is matched with the right support. This is what the LawWorks Clinics Network exists to achieve, supporting over 300 free legal advice clinics with resources, training and a community of practice that helps local leaders and volunteers create and sustain services like WCLAC.

At LawWorks we are committed to tackling legal deserts, because access to justice cannot be left to geography or chance. If it can be done in Penzance, it can be done elsewhere. Ending legal deserts will take time, but with courage, collaboration and commitment the gaps can be bridged.

If you would like to support LawWorks’ mission to break ground in legal deserts, you can donate today or fundraise to help expand access to justice.

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Case Story: Building a Future for Women’s Football in Caddington

shivani.clancy@lawworks.org.uk — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:09:00 +0000

"It really was a match made in heaven. LawWorks brought together exactly the skills we needed, just when we needed them. I can’t thank them enough for making this dream possible." - Mark Sutton, Caddington Sports Club

Across the country, opportunities for girls to play sport at a grassroots level are still far too limited. Safe, dedicated spaces for women’s teams remain hard to access, and small community clubs often struggle to provide the facilities needed for female players to stay in the game as they grow older. In the village of Caddington, Bedfordshire, Mark Sutton has been determined to change that. A lifelong supporter of the local sports club, Caddington Recreational Association, Mark has helped build it from its earliest days and watched a group of girls grow from five-year-old beginners into a tight-knit team of teenagers. Now, as they prepare to step into adult leagues, he is fighting to make sure they have a place to play.

I’ve been here since the beginning, helping to get the club off the ground. It means so much to me, and I wanted the girls to have the same opportunities and memories that I had.

But the barriers were formidable. To allow the girls to compete in adult leagues, the club needed modern changing rooms and a proper legal structure that met Football Association standards. That meant incorporating three separate entities, the charity, the clubhouse bar and the football club, and transferring a decades-old lease. For months Mark worked to find a way forward, but each route led to costs the club simply couldn’t meet. He was close to giving up when a late-night Google search changed everything. He discovered LawWorks and read about the Not-for-Profits Programme, which connects small charities and community groups with volunteer lawyers who provide free legal advice.

The legal costs were terrifying for a volunteer-run club. I tried to start the process myself, but it was just too complicated and too expensive for a small village sports club like ours. When I found LawWorks, I thought it was a long shot, but I gave it a go – and I’m so pleased I did.

Through the Not-for-Profits Programme, Mark was connected with three leading firms, Milbank LLP, Ropes & Gray LLP and Faegre Drinker, all of whom donated their time and expertise to the club. Together they helped Mark untangle decades of governance problems, trace historical trustees, and create the solid legal foundation needed to apply for funding.

The lawyers treated us like paying clients. They were professional, responsive and incredibly reassuring. It was a huge help. We simply couldn’t have done this without them.

That legal foundation unlocked the opportunity the club had been working toward. In August 2025, the Football Foundation confirmed an offer of up to £247,382 in funding towards the extension and refurbishment of the pavilion. The grant will help deliver the new changing facilities the girls need, provided the club meets key pre-construction conditions, including finalising a long-term lease with the parish council. With the offer in place and planning underway, Caddington can finally move from hoping for better facilities, to preparing to build them.

This funding is the breakthrough we needed. Now we can move from dreaming about better facilities to actually planning the build. These players have been together since childhood, and now we can plan for a women’s team right here in Caddington.

The new pavilion will be more than bricks and mortar. It will mean privacy and safety for female players, a place where teenage girls can change and compete with dignity, and a visible sign that women’s football belongs at the heart of village life. For the girls who have trained side by side since primary school, it means they can keep playing together as adults instead of scattering to distant clubs or giving up the sport altogether. For Mark, it means seeing the same community spirit that once built Caddington’s men’s teams finally extended to the next generation of women players.

Caddington’s journey shows how grants and funding can open doors, but without legal support many grassroots organisations cannot even reach the starting line. LawWorks bridges that gap, making sure local ambition is not lost to red tape.

It really was a match made in heaven. LawWorks brought together exactly the skills we needed, just when we needed them. I can’t thank them enough for making this dream possible.

Stories like that of Caddington are just one of many that LawWorks facilitates through its Not-for-Profits Programme, helping community groups across England and Wales overcome legal barriers and secure their right to opportunity and access to justice. Your support ensures that more clubs, clinics and small charities can receive this life-changing help.

Donate today to LawWorks and help the next not-for-profit or small charity secure its future.

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