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← The Access To Justice Foundation

2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2024

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in the Access to Justice Foundation’s 2024 Annual Report and Financial Statements. The Access to Justice Foundation is the only funder dedicated to increasing free legal support, advice, and representation across the UK. We work with other funders and individuals to increase the money available for free legal advice, and with community organisations to ensure people facing a legal problem get the help they need. We focus specifically on communities where people are less likely to know about or be able to access legal help.

Table of Contents

I. Annual Report........................................................................................................................ 2 Our Objectives & Activities .................................................................................................... 3 Our Impact .............................................................................................................................. 6 Financial Review .................................................................................................................... 7 Our Plans for 2024 ................................................................................................................. 9 Structure and Governance ................................................................................................... 10 Reference Information .......................................................................................................... 12 II. Independent Auditor’s Report .......................................................................................... 13 III. Financial Statements ....................................................................................................... 17 IV. Impact Report ................................................................................................................... 34

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l. Annual Report

Our Objectives & Activities

Our Purpose

The Access to Justice Foundation’s purpose is to (i) provide financial and other support to organisations that provide free legal advice or assistance to people in need and (ii) promote overall access to justice, as set out in our Articles of Association, which were last reviewed in 2020.

Our Mission, Vision, and Objectives

Trustees developed a new strategy in 2024, which included updating our mission and objectives as follows:

Our vision is a society where everyone has access to justice.

Our mission is to improve people’s lives by increasing the availability of free legal assistance, advice and representation

We work towards achieving our vision and mission by focusing on the following four objectives:

Trustees work to ensure an appropriate balance of resources is dedicated to each of these objectives. Further, trustees keep under review the proportion of funds dedicated to internal operations relative to our grant making.

Public Benefit

Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and are satisfied that the activities of the charity over the past year both are in accordance with our objects and strategy and are provided for the public benefit.

Report on Objectives and Activities

In 2024 we undertook the following activities to advance our four strategic objectives.

Objective One

Our first objective is to increase available resources for the provision of free legal advice and support across the UK. Our fundraising activity is focused in three main areas, namely the legal community, trusts and foundations, and public sector support.

During 2024 we raised £730,482 of unrestricted income (2023: £402,668) and designated income of £329,187 (2023: £477,671). These funds were primarily raised from residual client balances (mainly from solicitors’ firms), pro bono costs orders (pursuant to our role as the prescribed charity under s194 Legal Services Act), and fundraising events (mainly our programme of legal walks across the UK).

We continue to engage with the legal community and beyond to raise awareness of our work and how they can support us. We are particularly grateful to Cooley UK (who provided pro bono assistance in the enforcement of pro bono costs orders); our member organisations for their ongoing support; Advocate, LawWorks, Pro Bono Expert Support, and the Association of Costs Lawyers; and dozens of law firms across the UK who donated to support our work. A more comprehensive list of our supporters from the legal community is included in our Impact Report, which is attached to this document.

We raised a further £12,215,424 from restricted sources (2023: £9,859,069). These funds mainly came from two funders – the National Lottery Community Fund and The Ministry of Justice. In 2025, the Ministry of Justice have agreed to extend our Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support programme, thereby committing an additional £6,096,000 for the provision of free legal advice services from April 2025 to March 2026.

Over the last eight years we have been supported by generous grant funding from the Stewarts Foundation, totalling over £2,350,000. We are very grateful to them for funding of £200,000 in 2024.

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We increased activity around our role as the nominated charity to receive undistributed funds from opt out collective actions cases in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. This included meeting with key stakeholders to highlight our role as the prescribed charity charged with improving access to justice by distributing funds that class members have not claimed.

As a charity which was founded to increase funds for the provision of legal advice, all our fundraising activity directly contributes to our mission by way of providing funds for onward grant making to advice charities as well as a contribution to our own running costs to ensure we remain sustainable and have robust internal infrastructure so we can comply with our legal and regulatory requirements.

Objective Two

Our second objective is to develop and implement impactful grant making programmes which increase access to justice

In 2024 we launched our five year “Improving Lives Through Advice” funding programme supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. We have made grants to 59 community focused advice providers across England. As well as providing essential social welfare advice to some of the most marginalised people in the country, this programme will increase our capacity to collate data and evidence to demonstrate the impact that advice can have on people’s lives.

Our partnership with the Ministry of Justice continued with the Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support programme. In 12 months, this funding has supported 75,000 people across England and Wales with 111,000 legal issues including benefits, housing and employment. The benefits of early legal advice are being highlighted here, with nearly three quarters of clients receiving early legal advice avoiding having to go to court or tribunal.

We also made grants to 10 organisations across the UK with £500,000 of funding over two years to enhance access to pro bono legal services for disabled people.

Our grant making activity is the key mechanism through which we make progress towards our mission of improving access to legal advice. By supporting a diverse range of advice agencies

across the country, we support the sustainability and development of advice services.

As part of our commitment to the IVAR’s (Institute for Voluntary Action Research) Open and Trusting Grant Making Initiative, we have adopted their eight commitments to our approach to grant making. These are: don’t waste time, ask relevant questions, accept risk, act with urgency, be open, enable flexibility, communicate with purpose, and be proportionate.

Objective Three

Our third objective is to demonstrate the value of funding advice by using our insights and engaging with key stakeholders

In 2024 we began conversations with the Nuffield Foundation and the Centre for Socio Legal Studies at Oxford University about a project to research additional funding models for free legal advice. These are sources of funds which exist internationally such as IOLTA schemes, bona vacantia, and legal expenses insurance. We will be looking at if and how such schemes could work here in the UK.

We continue our focus on how advice services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently through our Justice and Innovation Group. And we draw learning from and share learning with the 1,500 members of our network, as part of our ongoing commitment to collaborative working.

We concluded our project with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society of England and Wales, which explored ways to increase the use of technology-enabled dispute resolution to help individuals and businesses resolve legal issues, without the need to go to court.

Objective Four

In 2024, we invested in strengthening our operational infrastructure to ensure the Foundation is operating effectively and efficiently and is sufficiently future-proofed. As part of this work, we updated key policies and processes, invested in our staff experience and organisational culture, improved our budgeting process and internal financial reporting, and improved in our IT infrastructure and cybersecurity.

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Fundraising Practice

The Access to Justice Foundation is a fundraising foundation, and raising resources for the advice sector is a core part of our mission and strategy. The Foundation is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and we strive to comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice – regularly referencing it to guide decisions at the management and trustee level. As part of our ongoing fundraising activities, we do not employ external agencies or consultants, we do not carry out face-to-face or telephone fundraising, and we do not approach vulnerable people. We did not receive any complaints about our fundraising in 2024.

Volunteers

The Foundation is grateful for volunteers who helped to organise fundraising events in 2024, including dozens of legal walks around the UK. Further, we benefitted from the generous pro bono support of the legal community who made £129,703 (2023: £72,118) of in-kind contributions over the course of the year.

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Our Impact

During 2024 we provided funding worth £14,671,923 (2023: £6,568,708) to a range of advice and pro bono charities across the UK. In total, 140 organisations (2023: 106) received our support.

Please see Note 15 to our financial statements, which lists all organisations that received funding from us in 2024.

Achievements and Performance

2024 represented a significant increase in our grant making, including our first and largest multiyear grants programme, Improving Lives Through Advice. We will start to report on the impact of this programme in our 2025 Annual Report. The organisations we funded work with those who need it most – 76 percent of their client base is disabled, 62 percent are in insecure housing or homeless, and 83 percent are experiencing poverty.

We received 80 applications within our pro bono programme and were able to fund 11 grants. Many more would have received funding if we’d had more income available.

With thanks to the Bar Council, we were able to commission an updated report on the economic value of free legal advice which we are using to make the case for future funding.

We secured a twelve-month extension to the Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support grant, ensuring a further £6,096,00 in funding to support frontline free legal advice services across England and Wales in 2025.

We were awarded £85,000 in pro bono costs in the Court of Appeal decision in Manolete v White .

We agreed to work with the Nuffield Foundation and Oxford University to launch our additional funding models project which will commence in June 2025.

Challenges

Our main challenge is, as always, the chronic under resourcing of free legal advice in the UK coupled with ever increasing demand for it. Our revised strategy focuses on transformational funding to try and address this.

Additionally, we have found it challenging to be an increasingly evidence-led funder. Both at the frontline where advice is provided and at the funder-level, both resourcing and the practicalities make it difficult to harmonize data collection across the sector. Further, we believe it is important the amount of data collected is proportional to the amount of funding provided. We have set up a data funders group to try and collectively address some of these challenges.

Impact

Our funded partners have given overwhelmingly positive feedback on our funding approach. In particular, we have listened to feedback on the need for multi-year and core cost funding. This enables organisations to plan their services better, focusing resources where they can be most impactful.

We are working on ways to report impact data across all our programmes. We would highlight some of the impacts from the Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support programme over the reporting period — 72 percent of clients reported they understood their legal problem and the steps required to resolve it, 70 percent of clients displayed increased confidence and capability to deal with their problems, and 68 percent of clients resolved their problems sooner, avoiding the need to go to court.

This year we have developed a new Impact Report which provides more information on the difference we make. The Impact Report is attached to this annual report.

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Financial Review

Year End Financial Position

In 2024, the Foundation had a total income of £13,275,093 (2023: £10,739,408) and total expenditure of £15,823,825 (2023: £7,326,177). Of this expenditure, the Foundation made grants and donations worth £14,671,923 (2023: £6,568,708).

This income and expenditure resulted in a 2024 net operating loss of £2,548,732 (2023: net operating income of £3,413,231). We carried forward a total balance of £1,872,706 at the end of 2024 (2023: £4,421,438).

In 2024, our expenditure exceeded our income substantially. This was expected and mainly due to a restricted net operating loss of £2,995,493 (2023: restricted net operating income of £2,866,493). The reason for this loss is primarily that the Foundation received restricted funds from the National Lottery Community Fund in late 2023, which were brought forward into 2024 and then regranted to advice agencies in the first quarter. At the end of 2024, we carried forward restricted funds of £388,120 (2023: £3,383,613).

The Foundation had a 2024 designated net operating income of £169,889 (2023: £459,144). At year end, we carried forward £681,910 (2023: £512,021) of designated funds, which will be mainly used in 2025 to make payments on existing multi-year grant commitments and for new grants to be awarded.

In 2024, the Foundation had an unrestricted net operating income of £276,872 (2023: £87,594). At year end, we carried forward £802,676 (2023: £525,804). These carried forward funds include £310,000 of operating and indemnity reserves (see more on our operating reserves policy below).

At the end of each year, the Foundation’s policy is to review the unrestricted cash balance available for expenditure and to either (i) budget these funds for investment in its operations in the following year or (ii) to designate the excess amount for grant making in the following year. The Foundation also retains a small amount of these unrestricted funds as a cash cushion to smooth income and account for fluctuation in fundraising over the course of the following year. The trustees have approved a 2025 budget that will spend

down this unrestricted cash surplus through additional grant making and by investing in our operational infrastructure.

Principal Sources of Funding

In 2024, our principal sources of funding were major restricted grants from The National Lottery Community Fund (£6,045,990) and the Ministry of Justice – Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support (£6,000,000). Other key sources of funding included Pro Bono Costs Orders (which the trustees mostly designated for grant making) as well as unrestricted funds from donated residual client balances and fundraising events.

Operating Reserve Funds

The Foundation maintains operating reserve funds, which the Board of Trustees deem appropriate for its efficient operation on a prudent basis. The operating reserve of £180,000 (2023: £150,000) is intended to meet administrative costs to enable the continued operation of the charity. Our reserves policy states that the charity should hold reserves equivalent to 6 to 9 months of unrestricted operating costs. The current reserve amount equates to 6 months of unrestricted operating costs. The trustees have deemed reasonable the amount of operating reserves currently held.

Banking and Investment Powers

The Foundation may invest monies of the charity not immediately required for its purposes in or upon such investments, securities,

or property as the Trustees may determine. Given the need for funds to be readily available, all funds are currently held in cash with our two banking providers, CAF Bank and Virgin Money.

Risks and Uncertainties

The trustees have created a Governance, Risk, and Audit Committee, which maintains a risk register and regularly discusses key risks on at least a quarterly basis. The Foundation’s key risks include:

  1. Financial Security: The Foundation depends on several key sources of income to continue its core operations. The trustees have prioritised investing in our fundraising resource to diversify our funding base and increase total income.

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  1. Loss of Key Management & Trustees: The Foundation risks losing key institutional knowledge via management and trustee resignations. It manages this risk by documenting key procedures and investing in robust systems.

  2. Grantee Fraud or Non-Compliance: As a grant making organisation, the Foundation must ensure its grantees are compliant and use funds efficiently and effectively. It manages this risk through clear grant making procedures and regular grantee oversight.

Charity’s Public Benefit

The Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance with regard to public benefit and have ensured that the Foundation’s resources have been or will be distributed to organisations that provide, support or facilitate access to free legal advice and assistance to those in charitable need, regardless of status.

  1. Failing to Distribute Funds to Highest Impact Recipients: As a grant making organisation, the Foundation must ensure its funds reach the most impactful grantees. It manages this risk through a competitive grant application process, rigorous review and scoring, and by nominating external members to the Board’s Grants Committee.

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Our Plans for 2025

During 2024 trustees developed a new organisational strategy which sharpened our focus on key areas where we believe we can have the greatest impact. We have also developed a framework to measure and report on successes and learning.

In our next strategic period (2025 – 2028), trustees identified the following key areas of focus:

  1. Our primary goals around increasing funding for the provision of free legal advice and making impactful grants remain in place.

  2. Broadening our funding base, both through traditional fundraising streams (e.g. individual giving, legacies, and trusts and foundations) and investing significant resource in exploring innovative and transformative funding models (e.g. collective actions, interest on lawyers’ trust accounts (IOLTA), and bona vacantia).

  3. Investing in and building our data capability to more effectively make the case for funding advice and to inform best practice in advice service delivery.

  4. Investing in our internal infrastructure to ensure we have the systems, capabilities and resources needed to take us forward.

  5. Improving our external communications and engagement by better demonstrating the impact of the work we fund.

Below we set out some specific 2025 projects to take forward this new strategy.

As part of our ongoing commitment to exploring what works best in the delivery of free legal advice, we will be working with funders, tech companies, and frontline agencies to explore the idea of a justice tech fund to support organisations to make the best use of emerging technologies.

We will carry out a review of our internal infrastructure and develop a plan to strengthen the organisation’s operations over the next three years, with an eye to scaling up quickly if we receive substantial income through the new collective action regime.

Together with the Centre for Socio Legal Studies at Oxford University, we will be launching our Additional Funding models project which will research how free legal advice is funded internationally and whether and how any of those international models could work effectively in the UK.

As the law relating to opt out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal develops, we will continue to raise awareness of our role as the prescribed charity to receive undistributed damages post-trial. This includes working with potential beneficiaries to co-design a funding strategy, as well as partnering with key stakeholders working in the competition law sector to shape our approach.

We will launch a new brand and website in 2025. As a first step in our commitment to becoming a more data led funder, our new website will include a data and learning hub to be transparent about our learning and to share this information so others can make use of it.

Building on our role as convenor of a group of over 40 funders via the Social Justice Funders Group, we have set up a subgroup of funders interested in improving the evidence base for the difference advice makes. This Data & Learning Funders Group is chaired by the Nuffield Foundation and will also feed into the Ministry of Justice’s long term strategy development.

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Structure and Governance

Organisational Structure

The Access to Justice Foundation was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 2nd October 2008 and was registered as a charity in England and Wales on 3rd October 2008 and in Scotland on 27 July 2018. It is governed by its Articles of Association.

Trustees

The composition of the Board represents the cross legal profession nature of the Foundation, working in collaboration with the advice sector. This is achieved through trustees being appointed by the following:

  1. President of the Law Society of England and Wales – Appointee: Simon Davis

  2. Chairman of the Bar Council – Appointee: James Willan KC (appointed June 2024)

  3. President of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives – Appointee: Maxcine Akinsowon

  4. Chairman of Advice Services Alliance – Appointee: Lindsey Poole (appointed February 2024)

  5. Lady Chief Justice – Appointee: Anne Molyneux (appointed June 2024)

In addition, the Board of Trustees has the power to appoint further Trustees. It does this through an open, competitive recruitment process. It has appointed: Gavin Mansfield KC (Chair), Ruth Daniel (aka Adkin), Audrey Haaxman, Golam Morshed, Des Pullen, Sacha Rose-Smith, Rebecca Samaras, Andrew Seager, Joe Snape, and Sarah Stephens. The trustees ensure independence by maintaining a register of interests and declaring interests at individual meetings where necessary.

New trustees receive an induction including the following: (i) an induction pack with key organisational documents to read, (ii) separate induction meetings with the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive, and the Finance & Operations Director, (iii) support from a trustee “buddy”, and (iv) signing of key forms including an appointment declaration, a code of conduct, a confidentiality agreement, and a declaration of interests.

Decision Making

The trustees provide oversight for all key activities, are responsible for determining the

Foundation’s overall strategic aims and direction and approve policies and expenditure above certain thresholds. Matters requiring board approval are decided by the Board acting by a majority at Trustee meetings or by 75 percent majority over email. The board appoints the following committees to make recommendations to the Board and to exercise delegated authority on some matters: (i) Governance, Risk and Audit Committee, (ii) Grants Committee, (iii) HR Remuneration and Nominations Committee, and (iv) ad hoc committees if/as needed. To ensure sufficient technical expertise, the Board has recruited external, non-trustee members to both the Grants Committee and the HR Remuneration and Nominations Committee.

The day-to-day running of the Foundation is delegated to management, operating within the confines of policies and delegations set by the board. In general, the areas of work delegated to management includes running grant programmes, fundraising, building partnerships in the sector, and finance and operations.

Remuneration for Key Management

All employee salaries – including key management personnel – are set through a market benchmarking exercise conducted every three years using an external dataset of comparable roles in the charity sector. The most recent benchmarking exercise was completed in July 2023 and used salary data from CENDEX. Further, we conduct a cost-of-living assessment every year to determine if it is appropriate to increase staff salaries to keep pace with inflation. This assessment is also conducted using external data. Any such salary increases are reviewed and approved by the trustees. In July 2024, the Board provided a cost-of-living salary increase for all staff, in accordance with this policy, to account for inflation.

Cooperation with Other Organisations

The Foundation maintains a robust external stakeholder engagement plan. It uses this plan to manage engagement and partnerships with other charities and organisations with which it cooperates to advance our charitable objectives.

Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement

The Trustees (who are also Directors of The Access to Justice Foundation for the purposes of

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company la�) are responsible for preparing the Trustees� Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance �ith applicable la� and United �ingdom accounting standards (U.�. �enerally Accepted Accounting �ractice).

Company la� re�uires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year �hich give a true and fair vie� of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and e�penditure, of the charitable company for that period. �n preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are re�uired to:

�ith reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply �ith the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Disclosure of �nformation to Auditors

�n so far as the Trustees are a�are:

Small Companies �egime

This report has been prepared in accordance �ith the special provisions relating to small companies �ithin �art 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper and ade�uate accounting records that disclose

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Board of Trustees

Company Number: 6714178

Auditors

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Chair of the Board
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  1. Independent Auditor's Report 13

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members and Trustees of the Access to Justice Foundation

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Access to Justice Foundation for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cashflows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees’ Annual Report and the Impact Report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material

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misstatement of this other information, �e are re�uired to report that fact. �e have nothing to report in this regard.

�pinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

�n our opinion, based on the �ork undertaken in the course of the audit:

�atters on which we are re�uired to report by e�ception

�n the light of the kno�ledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, �e have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees� Annual Report (�hich incorporates the directors� report).

�e have nothing to report in respect of the follo�ing matters in relation to �hich the Companies Act 2006 and the Charity Accounts (�cotland) Regulations (as amended) re�uire us to report to you if, in our opinion:

�esponsibilities of trustees for the financial statements

As e�plained more fully in the trustees� responsibilities statement set out on page 10�11, the trustees (�ho are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company la�) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair vie�, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, �hether due to fraud or error.

�n preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company�s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to li�uidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor�s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

�ur ob�ectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about �hether the financial statements as a �hole are free from material misstatement, �hether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor�s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance �ith ��As (U�) �ill al�ays detect a material misstatement �hen it e�ists. �isstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be e�pected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

�rregularities, including fraud, are instances of non�compliance �ith la�s and regulations. �e design procedures in line �ith our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The e�tent to �hich our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed belo�:

Based on our understanding of the charitable company and the environment in �hich it operates, �e identified that the principal risks of non�compliance �ith la�s and regulations related to Company �a�

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and Charity Law, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as Companies Act 2006 and the Charities’ Act 2011 and consider other factors such as income tax, payroll tax and sales tax.

We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements including the risk of override of controls. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006, section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Signed by:

Date: 24 June 2025

Lee Stokes (Senior Statutory Auditor) 10 Queen Street Place For and on behalf of HaysMac LLP, London Statutory Auditors EC4R 1AG

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  1. Financial Statements 17

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2024

Unrestricted
Funds
Income from:
Donations and legacies
Pro bono costs orders
3
26,433
Residual Client Balances
303,687
Grants received
4
170,000
Other donations
195,415
Investments
Bank interest received
34,947
Total Income
730,482
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Grants & Donations payable
15
(25,000)
Direct costs
6
20,030
Support costs
7
66,665
Raising funds
8
254,357
Other
9
137,558
Total Expenditure
453,610
Net Income / (Expenditure)
276,872
Total Funds Brought Forward
525,804
802,676
Total Funds Carried Forward at 31/12/2024		 Designated
Funds
240,824
684
80,000
7,679
-
329,187
151,897
7,200
-
201
-
159,298
169,889
512,021
681,910		 Designated
Funds
240,824
684
80,000
7,679
-
329,187
151,897
7,200
-
201
-
159,298
169,889
512,021
681,910		 Restricted
Funds
-
-
12,146,486
66,080
2,858
12,215,424
14,545,026
646,701
-
-
19,190
15,210,917
(2,995,493)
3,383,613
388,120		 Total
Funds 2024
267,257
304,371
12,396,486
269,174
37,805
13,275,093
14,671,923
673,931
66,665
254,558
156,748
15,823,825
(2,548,732)
4,421,438
1,872,706		 Total
Funds 2023
207,629
229,443
10,057,547
222,665
22,124		 Total
Funds 2023
207,629
229,443
10,057,547
222,665
22,124
10,739,408
6,568,708
468,023
60,404
140,618
88,424
7,326,177
3,413,231
1,008,207
4,421,438
6,568,708
468,023
60,404
140,618
88,424
7,326,177
3,413,231
1,008,207
4,421,438

18

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2023

Unrestricted
Funds
Income from:
Donations and legacies
Pro bono costs orders
3
-
Residual Client Balances
229,443
Grants received
4
20,000
Other donations
132,623
Investments
Bank interest received
20,602
Total Income
402,668
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Grants & Donations payable
15
35,000
Direct costs
6
44,587
Support costs
7
50,089
Raising funds
8
114,574
Other
9
70,824
Total Expenditure
315,074
Net Income / (Expenditure)
87,594
Total Funds Brought Forward
438,210
525,804
Total Funds Carried Forward at 31/12/2023		 Designated
Funds
207,629
-
180,000
90,042
-
477,671
15,441
-
-
3,086
-
18,527
459,144
52,877
512,021		 Designated
Funds
207,629
-
180,000
90,042
-
477,671
15,441
-
-
3,086
-
18,527
459,144
52,877
512,021		 Restricted
Funds
-
-
9,857,547
-
1,522
9,859,069
6,518,267
423,436
10,315
22,958
17,600
6,992,576
2,866,493
517,120
3,383,613		 Total
Funds 2023
207,629
229,443
10,057,547
222,665
22,124
10,739,408
6,568,708
468,023
60,404
140,618
88,424
7,326,177
3,413,231
1,008,207
4,421,438		 Total
Funds 2022
281,776
158,066
6,161,855
459,046
5,468		 Total
Funds 2022
281,776
158,066
6,161,855
459,046
5,468
7,066,211
6,668,059
470,558
29,238
173,567
76,885
7,418,307
(352,096)
1,360,303
1,008,207

19

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Note 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Current Assets
Debtors 10 21,108 42,963
Cash at bank 1,942,012 4,518,145
Total current assets 1,963,120 4,561,108
Creditors, amounts falling
due within one year 11 (90,414) (139,670)
Net Current Assets 1,872,706 4,421,438
Net Assets £ 1,872,706 £ 4,421,438
The Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds 12 802,676 525,804
Designated funds 12 681,910 512,021
Restricted funds 12 388,120 3,383,613
£ 1,872,706 £ 4,421,438
----- End of picture text -----

The notes on pages 22 to 33 form part of the financial statements.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 19 June 2025. And signed on their behalf by:

Gavin Mansfield KC Chair of the Board

20

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Statement of Cashflows For the year ended 31 December 2024

Note 2024 2023
£ £
Cash flows from operating acti�ities�
Net cash pro�ided by
�perating acti�ities (2,613,939) 3,267,285
Cash flows from in�esting acti�ities
�nterest 37,806 22,124
Change in cash and cash e�ui�alents
�n the reporting period (2,576,133) 3,289,409
Cash and cash e�uivalents at the start of
the reporting period 4,518,145 1,228,736
Cash and cash e�ui�alents at the end of
the reporting period 1,942,012 4,518,145

Reconciliation of net e�penditure to net cash inflo� (outflo�) from operating activities:

2024 2023
£ £
Net income�(e�penditure) (2,548,732) 3,413,231
Bank interest receivable (37,806) (22,124)
Decrease�(�ncrease) in debtors 21,855 4,761
�ncrease�(Decrease) in creditors (49,256) (128,583)
�������� ��������
Net cash provided by operating activities (2,613,939) 3,267,285
�������� ��������
Analysis of Changes in net Debt � 2024 Cash at 1
January 2024		 Cashflo�s Cash at 31
December 2024
£ £
Cash 4,518,145 (2,576,133) 1,942,012

21

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 December 2023

1 �eneral information

The continuing activity of the charity is to facilitate access to �ustice for those unable to afford legal assistance.

The charity is a public benefit entity, a United �ingdom charitable company limited by guarantee. �t is both incorporated and domiciled in �ngland and �ales. The address of its registered office is 10 �ueen �treet �lace, �ondon �C4R 1A�.

2 Summary of Significant Accounting �olicies

(a) Basis of accounting

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance �ith Accounting and Reporting by Charities: �tatement of �ractice for Charities (��R� 2015) (�econd �dition, effective 1 January 2019) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance �ith the �inancial Reporting �tandard applicable in the U� and Republic of �reland (�R� 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies that have been applied to all periods presented in these financial statements are set out belo�.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity �ith �R� 102 re�uires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. �t also re�uires management to e�ercise its �udgement in the process of applying the accounting policies selected for use by the Charity. Use of available information and application of �udgement are inherent in the formation of estimates. Actual outcomes in the future could differ from such estimates.

(b) �ncome recognition

All income is included in the �tatement of �inancial Activities (���A) �hen the Charity becomes legally entitled to the income, it is probable that the income �ill be received and the amount can be �uantified �ith reasonable accuracy. �here a pro bono cost order has not been received �ithin 6 months of the a�ard a bad debt provision is considered according to the likelihood of receiving the funds. Bad debts are offset against income receivable.

Donations are recognised in accordance �ith the donor�s �ishes and credited to restricted or unrestricted funds as the case may be.

�ncome from government and other grants are recognised �hen the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income �ill be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

(c) �rants payable

�rants payable are accounted for in the period during �hich they are approved by the �oundation.

(d) ��penditure recognition

�iabilities are recognised as e�penditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to that e�penditure, it is probable that settlement �ill be re�uired and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All e�penditure is charged to the ���A on an accruals basis.

�hen costs relate to more than one activity they are allocated to charitable e�penditure, the cost of raising funds or other costs based upon management estimate of staff time. �here costs are not directly attributable to a fund they are recorded as unrestricted and a transfer recorded to account for costs attributable to restricted income.

22

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023

2 Summary of Significant Accounting �olicies �continued�

(e) �ifts in kind

The only financial instruments held by the Charity constitute payables and receivables. These are categorised as �basic� in accordance �ith �ection 11 of �R� 102 and are initially recognised at transaction price. These are subse�uently measured at transaction price less any impairment.

(g) �und accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general ob�ectives of the �oundation and �hich have not been designated for other purposes. Restricted funds are funds �hich are to be used in accordance �ith specific restrictions imposed by donors or �hich have been raised by the �oundation for particular purposes.

Designated funds consist of donations received �hich the Trustees have allocated to�ard a specific beneficiary. As such the conditions have been imposed by the Trustees rather than the donor.

(h) �oing concern

The Trustees assess �hether the use of going concern is appropriate, i.e. �hether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The Trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. The Trustees conclude that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity�s ability to continue and accordingly the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis.

�n the application of the charity�s accounting policies, the trustees are re�uired to make �udgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical e�perience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are revie�ed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in �hich the estimate is revised �here the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods �here the revision affects both current and future periods.

The Trustees consider the provision for non�recoverable amounts in relation to pro bono costs to be a key �udgement and estimation. �ro�bono costs are considered for recoverability on a case by case basis.

23

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

3 �ro Bono Costs
2024 2023
�ro bono cost orders relating to 2024 249,757 266,141
�ro bono cost orders previously considered non� recoverable for
previous years		 20,000 �
Non�recoverable amounts (2,500) (58,512)
£ 267,257 £ 207,629
4 �rants �ecei�ed
2024 2023
�mproving �ives Through Advice The National �ottery Community �und 6,045,990 3,075,736
�mproving �utcomes Through �egal �upport �inistry of Justice 6,000,000 4,424,000
�elp Accessing �egal �upport �inistry of Justice � 2,290,905
�egal �upport for �itigants in �erson �inistry of Justice � (11,073)
Community Justice �und
�inistry of Justice � (5,021)
�thers, including �ndependent �unders 33,000 33,000
�ther grants 317,496 250,000
£ 12,396,486 £ 10,057,547
� Salaries
2024 2023
�taff costs
�ages and salaries 689,060 513,327
�ocial �ecurity Costs 71,813 51,209
�ension costs 25,739 18,283
Redundancy costs 0 �
£ 786,612 £ 582,819

The average number of employees during the year �as fifteen (2023: t�elve), engaged in the management and administration of the �oundation.

The number of employees �hose annualised emoluments e�ceeded £60,000 during the year (including ta�able benefits but e�cluding employers� pension contributions) �as:

2024 2023
£60,001 � £70,000 1 �
£70,001 � £80,000 � 1
£80,000 � £90,000 1 �
£90,000 � £100,000 � �

�ey management remuneration for the year totalled £377,427 (2023: £286,396).

24

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

6
Direct Costs
�taff costs
Rent and rates
Administrative e�penses
£
�rofessional fees � Consultancy
Raising �unds � Direct Charitable ��penditure		 2024
512,455
44,161
96,250
1,696
19,369
673,931
£		 2023
415,584
21,521
7,501
689
22,728
468,023

7 Support Costs

Charity accounting regulations re�uire us to separately identify �upport costs incurred. These are set out as follo�s:

�taff costs
Rent and rates
�rofessional fees
Administrative e�penses
£
Direct charitable e�penditure
19� (2023: 31�)
Cost of raising funds
43� (2023: 35�)
Administration costs
38� (2023: 34�)
£
8
�aising funds
Direct costs
�ifts in �ind
Allocated �upport Costs (see
note 7)
£
�
�ther costs
Audit fees
�ther
Allocated support costs (see
note 7)
£		 2024
274,157
5,800
25,416
49,225
354,598
£
2024
66,665
154,250
133,683
354,598
£
2024
201
100,107
154,250
254,558
£
2024
20,040
3,025
133,683
156,748
£		 2023
167,235
3,799
3,680
20,138
194,852
2023
60,404
68,198
66,250
194,852
2023
3,302
69,118
68,198
140,618
2023
18,020
4,154
66,250
88,424

25

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

10 Debtors

Debtors
Accrued income
�repayments
£
Creditors �amounts falling due
within one year
Accruals
�rants payable
Deferred �ncome
�ther payables
£
Deferred �ncome
Deferred �ncome Brought �o�ard
Released to �ncome and ��penditure, 2024
Transferred from �ncome and ��penditure, 2024
Deferred �ncome Carried �or�ard		 2024
14,700
6,408
21,108
£
2024
20,871
�
45,000
24,543
90,414
£
2024
95,000
(95,000)
45,000
45,000
£		 2023
11,000
31,963
42,963
2023
21,203
�
95,000
23,467
139,670
2023
50,000
(50,000)
95,000
95,000

Creditors �amounts falling due 11 within one year

26

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

12 Summary of Funds

2024
As at 1 January 2024
Total �ncome
Total ��penditure
At 31 December 2024
£
2023
As at 1 January 2023
Total �ncome
Total ��penditure
At 31 December 2023
£
Restricted funds are further split as follo�s:
2024
As at 1 January 2024
Total �ncome
Total ��penditure
At 31 December 2024
£
2023
As at 1 January 2023
Total �ncome
Total ��penditure
At 31 December 2023
£		 Unrestricted
�unds
525,804
730,482
(453,610)
802,676
£
Unrestricted
�unds
438,210
402,668
(315,074)
525,804
£
TN�C� ��TA
2,962,141
6,048,847
(8,687,647)
323,341
£
TN�C� ��TA
�
3,077,258
(115,117)
2,962,141
£		 Designated
Restricted
�unds
�unds
512,021
3,383,613
329,187
12,215,424
(159,298)
(15,210,917)
681,910
£
388,120
Designated
Restricted
�unds
�unds
52,877
517,120
477,671
9,859,069
(18,527)
(6,992,576)
512,021
£
3,383,613
��J ��T��
Complete ��J
programmes
�ther
77,784
�
343,688
6,000,000
�
166,576
(6,013,005)
�
(510,264)
64,779
£
�
�
��J ��T��
Complete ��J
programmes
�ther
�
122,889
394,231
4,424,000
2,274,811
83,000
(4,346,216)
(2,397,700)
(133,543)
77,784
£
�
£
343,688		 Total
3,383,613
12,215,423
(15,210,916)
388,120
Total
517,120
9,859,069
(6,992,576)
3,383,613

27

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

�und assets and liabilities are made up as follo�s:

2024
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total
�unds �unds �unds �unds
Debtors 7,248 13,860 � 21,108
Cash 885,842 668,050 388,120 1,942,012
�iabilities (90,414) � � (90,414)
Net assets at 31 December 2024 £ 802,676 £ 681,910 £ 388,120 £ 1,872,706
2023
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total
�unds �unds �unds �unds
Debtors 32,263 10,700
 � 42,963
Cash 633,211 501,321 3,383,613 4,518,145
�iabilities (139,670) � � (139,670)
Net assets at 31 December 2023 £ 525,804 £ 512,021 £ 3,383,613 £ 4,421,438

28

Company no. 6714178

The Access to Justice Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

13 Contingent liability

The Charity has provided indemnities to firms that have donated unclaimed client funds in respect of client balances in the event that these are claimed back from the firm. �uitable investment of these reserves is considered by the trustees on a regular basis.

14 �elated �arties

No member of the Board of Trustees received any remuneration during the year (2023: £Nil). Travel e�penses reimbursed amounted to £761 (2023: £383).

There �ere no other related party transactions noted in the current or preceding year.

29

The Access to Justice Foundation Company no. 6714178

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

1� �rants and Donations made to �nstitutions

�rants and Donations made to �nstitutions
2024 2023
£ £
�rants � Donations 14,671,923 6,568,708
�rants � Donations �ere made to the follo�ing institutions for the purpose of enabling the recipient to promote the charity�s ob�ectives:
Access �ocial Care 154,000 �
Advocate�Bar �ro Bono Unit 25,231 �
Anti�trafficking and �abour ��ploitation Unit (AT��U) 150,000 30,000
Asylum Justice � 26,250
Asylum �upport Appeals �ro�ect 94,596 50,404
Birmingham �eople�s Centre 1,370 �
Bradical �mployment Rights 130 �
Bristol �a� Centre 251,698 114,757
Bristol Refugee Rights � 33,750
Cambridge �ouse and Talbot � 44,125
CA�CA�Dr (Centre for Adults� �ocial Care) � 75,000
CA����U� (Community Advice and �upport �ervice) 101,659 73,626
Casus �missus (The Aberdeen �a� �ro�ect) 80
Central �ngland �a� Centre 273,457 83,547
Child �overty Action �roup (C�A�) 150,000
Citi�ens Advice Bradford and Airedale 104,472 75,663
Citi�ens Advice Braintree � �outh �sse� �imited 23,073 �
Citi�ens Advice Bury � Bolton 142,500 �
Citi�ens Advice Canolfen Cynghon �nys �on � 31,133
Citi�ens Advice Central Dorset 150,000 64,097
Citi�ens Advice Central Nottinghamshire 81,569 �
Citi�ens Advice Chelmsford 4,494 79
Citi�ens Advice Coventry � 37,500
Citi�ens Advice Croydon 93,210 95,059
Citi�ens Advice Denbighshire 60,928 74,997
Citi�ens Advice �lintshire 66,133 47,897
Citi�ens Advice �ateshead 102,918 74,538
Citi�ens Advice �ull � �ast Riding 131,740 �
Citi�ens Advice �iverpool 114,515 82,938
Citi�ens Advice �id �ercia � 34,657
Citi�ens Advice �iddlesbrough 58,189 42,143
Citi�ens Advice Norfolk 2,498 1,000
Citi�ens Advice North � �est �ent 92,069 122,931
Citi�ens Advice North �ast Derbyshire 127,348 �
Citi�ens Advice North �omerset 147,996 �
Citi�ens Advice ��ford Branch 24,999 �
Citi�ens Advice �ortsmouth 89,575 64,875
Citi�ens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff � 40,050
Citi�ens Advice �heffield � �a� Centre 150,000 �
Citi�ens Advice �her�ood � Ne�ark � 77,827
Citi�ens Advice �t Albans District 19,938 �
Citi�ens Advice �ands�orth 150,000 �
Citi�ens Advice �iltshire � 26,250
Citi�ens Advice �orcester and �erefordshire 150,000 �
Community Advice and �a� �ervice �td 115,953 128,978
Community �a� �ervice (Northampton And County) 86,083 62,252
Community �egal Centre � �sse� � 41,191
Coram Children�s �egal Centre 154,045 �
Coventry �aven �omen�s Aid 137,444 �
Cumbria �a� Centre 265,993 123,382

30

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

2024 2023
£ £
Deighton Pierce Glynn 33,000 33,000
Derbyshire Law Centre 150,096 45,000
Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support 103,950 75,285
Direct Help & Advice 115,435 83,603
Disability Advice Service (East Suffolk) 102,917 -
Disability Law Service - 26,250
Disability North 149,575
Disability Rights UK 25,000 -
Domestic abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVSS) 115,970 83,991
Dundee North Law Centre 328 -
Ealing Law Centre - 26,250
East End Citizens Advice Bureaux 115,993 84,007
East European Resource Centre 150,000 -
East Greenwich Legal Advice Clinic 5,000 -
Equality and Employment Law Centre 13 -
Ethnic Minorities Law Centre - 216
Families InFocus (Essex) 150,000 -
Family Rights Group 135,000 56,250
First Light South West 62,038 54,681
Fiscus North Limited 123,440 -
Free Legal Advice Group for Domestic Violence (FLAGDV) - 30,000
Friends, Families and Travellers 265,993 121,507
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit 259,949 79,630
Greater Manchester Law Centre & PBC 84,860 73,235
Hammersmith & Fulham Community Law Centre - 56,250
Harlow Advice Centre - 36,528
Harrow Law Centre 69,596 87,904
Hastings Advice and Representation Centre - 14,265
Hope Projects - 12,196
Housing Matters Bristol 128 -
IKWRO - Women's Rights Organisation 150,000 -
Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) 114,005 82,568
Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO) 83,358 60,371
IPSEA 47,517 -
Just for Kids Law - 75,000
Just Right Scotland - 157
Justice 7,150
JustUs 334
Kent Law Clinic - 938
Kirklees Citizens Advice & Law Centre 99,387 71,981
LAPG (Legal Aid Practitioners Group Management & Leadership Hub) 170,480 -
Latin American Women's Rights Service 150,000 -
Law Centres Network - 10,000
Law for Life (Foundation for Public Legal Education) 150,000 56,250
LawCare 504 -
LawWorks (The Solicitors Pro Bono Group) 7,550 56,250
Legal Advice Centre (University House) 25,000 -
Legal Education Foundation (LEF) 116,667 -
LGBT Foundation 104,185 -
Luton Law Centre 58,031 42,029
Manchester Mind 75,037 54,345
Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) - 30,846
Mancroft Advice Project 139,751 -
Manuel Bravo Project 265,993 84,007
MaryWardLegalCentre 138,481 123,439

31

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

Grants & Donations made to Institutions continued

Grants & Donations made to Institutions continued
2024 2023
£ £
Maternity Action 150,000 65,250
Merseyside Law Centre 218,174 49,927
Narthex Sparkhill 150,000 -
New Forest Disability Information Service 78,389 -
Nishkam Civic Association 113,267 82,033
Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People 150,000 -
Norfolk Community Law Service 263,541 110,636
North Bristol Advice Centre 71,637 70,633
North East Law Centre 270,181 150,735
North Kensington Law Centre 95,660 122,634
North West London Law Centres (NWLLC) 150,000 -
North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre 268,862 150,757
Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council 106,896 25,908
Nottingham Law Centre 150,755 -
Oxford Community Work Agency 64,966 47,052
PBIC Ltd 150,000 -
Peterborough Citizens Advice 909 -
Plumstead Community Law Centre - 18,750
Praxis Community Projects 109,273 79,141
PRCBC - 22,500
Public Interest Law Centre 129,000 25,000
Public Law Project 150,000 -
Rainbow Migration 150,000 -
Raise 75,395 54,605
RCJ Advice 321,922 180,764
Refugee and Migrant Centre - Birmingham 2,329 -
Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex & London (RAMFEL) 4,000 -
Refugee Support (Devon) Ltd - 22,500
Release - 45,000
Rights of Women 259,613 135,637
Riverside Advice 60,672 43,942
Shelter 123,069 83,286
Shelter Cymru 56,067 40,607
South West London Law Centres 113,397 130,877
South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice 61,996 42,004
Southwark Law Centre 266,433 81,430
Speakeasy Law Centre 4,000 46,451
Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC) 23,333 -
Spitfire Advice and Support Services 105,000 -
Staffordshire North & Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice Bureau 115,852 83,905
Stevenage Citizens Advice Bureau 60,580 43,875
Stockton and District Advice and Information Service (SDAIS) 156,083 53,940
Suffolk Law Centre (Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality) 140,542 37,875
Support & Action To End Domestic Abuse (SATEDA) 149,353 -
Support Through Court 293,375 268,726
Support Through Court Birmingham 251 119
Support Through Court Leeds 88 -
Tax Volunteers (Trading Name Tax Help for Older People) 6,913 -
TaxAid UK t/a Bridge The Gap 8,833 1,024
Teignbridge CAB 150,000 37,500
The Motherhood Plan (t/a Pregnant Then Screwed) 108,513 78,591
The Oxford Diocesan Council for Social Work Incorporated ('Parents And 150,000 -
The Women's Centre Cornwall 99,855 -
Tower Hamlets Law Centre 118,629 68,365
UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic 1,250 -

32

The Access to Justice Foundation

Company no. 6714178

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

Grants & Donations made to Institutions continued

Grants & Donations made to Institutions continued
2024 2023
£ £
University of Strathclyde Law Clinic 38 -
Vauxhall Community Law & Information Centre 4,492 5,000
Victim Support 51,106 37,013
Wiltshire Law Centre 4,000 56,250
Women's Consortium 225 -
Working Families 265,993 159,007
York CAB 936 -
Your Voice Counts 120,000 -
Zacchaeus 2000 Trust 25,000 -
14,671,923 6,568,708

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IV. Impact Report 34

THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION Impact Report 2024

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Impact Report 2024

Our grants are funding organisations across the UK.

A third of our funded partners are located in London. Many offer services UK wide, including Scotland.

Impact Report 2024 3

The Access to Justice Foundation is the only funder in the UK dedicated to increasing free legal support, advice and representation for everyone who needs it.

We work with other funders and individuals to increase the money available for free legal advice, while working directly with community organisations supporting people who are less likely to know about or be able to access legal help.

When we talk about access to justice we’re talking about people like David - people walking a fine line between managing a setback and facing a lifeshattering crisis.

We exist to make sure everyone has someone to turn to, like the advisers at David’s local Citizens Advice and Law Centre.

Our approach

In this report, you’ll see how we work with advice-providing charities, funders, and organisations to make better decisions and champion better practices.

Case study

Why our work matters:

When David, an adult at risk, lost his ID and

phone, he couldn’t access his online bank account. Without funds to pay rent or buy food, he was evicted and had to rely on food banks. David turned to the Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre for help.

With the help of an adviser, he was eventually able to open a new bank account and transfer his funds.

Able to pay rent for his own home again and being less reliant on charitable help or food banks helped David feel more independent and empowered.

If you are interested in doing more to help people like David, please donate.

We focus on three key priorities:

Funding where need is the greatest

Funding the most effective ways to deliver legal advice

Gaining and sharing knowledge

If you are interested in fnding out more, please get in touch.

Impact Report 2024 4

Funding where need is the greatest

Your ability to get good legal advice shouldn’t depend on how much money you have or where you live. But it does.

There are huge disparities of access to free legal advice across the UK.

In many parts of the country, particularly rural areas, people have nowhere to turn when facing life-changing legal problems.

These “advice deserts” leave communities isolated from crucial support. Even with public transport to local towns, they often find no one there who can offer free advice.

For marginalised communities such as travellers and refugees this isolation runs deeper. They need organisations that understand their unique experience and provide safe spaces to address issues like housing, immigration and other crucial issues.

We direct our funding where it creates the greatest impact, funding effective charities serving communities with the most pressing needs.

Too often, the communities most in need of legal advice have the hardest time accessing it. Disabled people, for instance, might have difficulty reaching an advice agency. Yet they are also more likely to need help with benefits applications, housing problems and employment challenges.

That’s why in 2024, we made grants to organisations working to improve their free legal advice provision to clients with disabilities.

One of our funded partners, Citizens Advice Braintree and South Essex, is using their grant to improve access to their services by providing sign language interpreters, using new technology, and partnering with disability advocacy groups. Read more here.

: . a 12.45m }F people in England live in legal aid f mii deserts for housing.

LexisNexis Legal Aid Deserts report. 2022

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Impact Report 2024

Case study

The Women’s Centre, Cornwall

Led by women, many of whom have survived violence themselves, The Women’s Centre provides vital services to women and girls dealing with the aftermath of sexual and domestic abuse.

The Centre supports women facing complex challenges including homelessness and discrimination, as well as women with learning disabilities and migrant women who often encounter additional barriers to getting help.

Their doors are open to women across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and to those in HMP Eastwood Park.

Our funding is supporting the Centre’s ambition to build a legal advice partnership, training staff, local lawyers and practitioners, to ensure they can deliver services sensitive to the needs and experience of the women they serve. The aim is to radically improve survivors’ access to justice, particularly for the most excluded and marginalised women.

Jackie May, CEO, said:

A few years ago housing was the biggest issue. Now it is the impact of getting good legal advice. Our closest Law Centre is 150 miles away in Bristol.

The five year core cost grant from The Access to Justice Foundation means we can use our resources where they are most needed. It has given us hope.”

If you are interested in doing more to help, please donate.

We support the provision of free legal advice that goes to the heart of people’s daily lives. Below is a breakdown of the beneficiary needs met by our funded partners:

We awarded £34.8m in multi-year grants in 2024 and made payments of £14.6m

Benefits and social welfare Employment and work Housing and homelessness Asylum and immigration Family and children Debt and money Health and social care Domestic abuse

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Impact Report 2024

Funding the most effective ways to deliver -| a A ae legal advice

Getting legal advice in a way that works for you is essential for true access to justice.

The traditional in-person office-based setting for legal advice has long since given way to a myriad of methods including informal, dropin, community-based settings and online chat functions.

These new methods break down barriers, but we need to know which ones truly work best for people in need. This creates three key challenges

And most critically

We are committed to strengthening advice agencies by building their resources, skills, and capacity. This helps them identify the best approaches for their communities and gather meaningful data about what works.

The evidence on advice service impact remains incomplete. That’s why we are working with others to tap into expertise and fill these knowledge gaps.

74,897 people were helped in 2024

Data from Ministry of Justice funded projects

We share what we learn through our website and forums, creating resources that benefits the entire sector.

Throughout this work, we are mindful of how we interact with advice agencies — only asking for data that serves a clear purpose and drives real improvement.

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Impact Report 2024

Case study

FISCUS

Based in Sunderland’s most deprived ward FISCUS North delivers welfare, benefits and debt advice to more than 1400 people facing significant barriers.

Working through weekly outreach advice sessions at 14 foodbanks, they have responded to a 300% rise in demand in recent years. They meet people dealing with deepening poverty, mental health challenges, and increasingly complex needs that require comprehensive support.

FISCUS is a truly community based charity proudly offering “more than advice” with _—~ a Baby Bank, Clothes Bank and a Young Mammie’s Home Economics Project alongside their advice service. The safe and welcoming spaces they provide help people to open up and share problems.

Our grant has enabled the organisation to offer full-time positions to experienced staff who were previously part-time and ensuring critical projects continue rather than closing down due to lack of funding.

CEO Anita Heskett-Saddington said:

This funding has given me breathing space as a leader, time to focus on other issues and given space for other ideas.”

If you are interested in doing more to help, please donate.

Learning together, achieving more

Shared learning is core to our values and in autumn 2024 we brought frontline organisations, funders, and the legal community together for the official launch of our five year core funding programme, Improving Lives Through Advice.

Our long-term core funding transforms what’s possible for these organisations. It helps them attract and keep talented staff, invest confidently in innovative approaches, increase access to specialist legal advice, and provide holistic solutions to complex needs.

We were joined by Phil Chamberlain, England Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, and Farah Ziaulla, from the Ministry of Justice. Both spoke about a unified approach and long-term vision for improving access to justice.

Funded partners from across the country, including FISCUS, shared powerful insights about their community impact. Their success stories highlighted common themes: the importance of advisers with lived experience, meeting people in accessible locations like foodbanks rather than expecting them to visit offices, and building relationships founded on trust and empowerment.

Improving Lives Through Advice is supported by £30 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK, thanks to National Lottery players.

Impact Report 2024 8

Sharing knowledge and resources

The chronic under-funding in the social justice sector is too big for any single organisation to solve alone. We work with charities, funders and other organisations that share the same aims. By joining forces we will create stronger solutions and better outcomes for everyone who needs free legal advice while continuing to make the case to government for better funded social welfare advice.

Our work delivered:

This collaborative approach drives everything we do. Visit our website to see more examples of how we’re bringing people together to increase access to justice.

Read more.

Our collaborative approach drove a project with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and The Law Society of England and Wales to explore how Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) can address unmet legal needs.

We identified and highlighted the essential role free legal advice providers play in connecting people to dispute resolution services through a series of activities and events over 18 months

We brought together more than 120 experts representing the frontline, legal profession, technology, regulatory, and government sectors interested in resolving disputes at an early stage.

This diverse expertise helped us pinpoint not just barriers to effective ODR services, but solutions to overcome them.

I am so glad ATJF are bringing together such a great cross section of the sector. There is so much expertise and genuine insight in the sector, if we just came together more, we could really crack it!”

Free legal advice provider, Online Dispute Resolution Workshop

Impact Report 2024 9

Case study

Access Social Care

Delivering to a vulnerable and underserved community, Access Social Care provide free legal advice and support for people with social care needs to ensure they get the care they are entitled to.

With over 850,000 people potentially needing legal advice to enforce their rights the charity has pioneered the use of technology and AI to ensure their services remain effective and accessible.

We know that developing new technology takes time and involves risks that often deter funders. That’s why we provide long-term core funding—allowing Access Social Care to confidently invest in innovative approaches while continuing to meet their communities’ immediate needs.

CEO and Founder Kari Gerstheimer said:

“Our online legal information service, AccessAva contains more than 200 legal letters which can be personalised.

“According to NHS data, in 2023/24 only 41% of people who requested social care received it. At least 1.5 million people are living without the social care they need.”

“We know disabled people, older people, and carers use it to navigate through the system more smoothly, and solve problems early on, improving social care outcomes. By hosting it on more than 30 partner websites, we are able to reach marginalised communities and gather powerful data.

“Transitioning from a minimum viable product to a sustainable service can sometimes feel like pushing a boulder up a big hill - long term funding from the Access to Justice Foundation enables us to take the calculated risks necessary when developing a tech product.”

Kari Gerstheimer

Building stronger leadership for greater impact

The organisations we partner with often pour all their resources into frontline services, leaving little capacity for developing management skills. We believe great advice charities need both exceptional services and strong leadership. That’s why we go beyond just funding. We’re actively strengthening 59 charities through:

Management and Tailored consultancy A vibrant peer support leadership training support network

Supporting effective management, leadership and governance is critical to maintaining and building a resilient, accessible, and high-quality specialist advice sector. Strengthen the managers and you strengthen the organisations they manage.”

Matthew Howgate FCMI, Director of the LAPG Management & Leadership Hub

59 charities are being supported by Funder Plus

Impact Report 2024 10

Our convened groups

We’re committed to working collaboratively with others across the sector to ensure everyone can make the best use of the experience, expertise, and learning generated by our collective knowledge.

We openly share our data, insights, and learning because we believe collaboration strengthens everyone’s work. When more people have access to quality information, we all make a bigger impact.

Our open groups create dynamic spaces where people share opportunities, tackle challenges together, and build powerful partnerships:

The Access to Justice Foundation plays a vital role in tackling the twin challenge of unmet legal need and championing the importance of access to justice. Through its work to support the sector to develop the evidence base about legal advice, it has been a driving force in convening stakeholders to focus their attention on improving the collection of data and use of research.”

Ash Patel, Programme Head – Justice, Nuffield Foundation

• The Justice and Innovation Group is our flagship 550 strong cross-sector community group dedicated to using innovative approaches to deliver better justice services to clients. Members identify and discuss key issues facing innovation and the use of technology in the access to justice community.

• Insights and Learning Sessions dive deep into research, evidence, and projects that matter. These sessions help us all translate valuable information into practical action, identifying the resources we need to make real change happen.

Want to be part of these conversations? Please get in touch. 2 ~~)}—_—~~

• The Social Justice Funders Group connects 80 funders committed to addressing inequalities and building a fairer society. Our quarterly meetings facilitate knowledge exchange and create opportunities for coordinated action on shared priorities.

Impact Report 2024 11

Thank you

Our work to increase access to justice is only possible thanks to donations.

Special thanks to the Ministry of Justice, The National Lottery Community Fund and The Stewarts Foundation for multi-year transformational funding of free legal advice.

Thank you to all who have given – including those who wish to remain anonymous and all those who organise and take part in fundraising events.

Addleshaw Goddard, AK Law, Alexander Bennett Solicitors, Ashley James Solicitors, Ashurst LLP, Baring Foundation, Baker Mckenzie, Blaser Mills Solicitors, Bolt Burdon Solicitors, Brick Court Chambers, Brighouses Solicitors, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Burges Salmon, Burnett Barker Solicitors, Caswell Jones Solicitors, Central England Law Centre (CELC), Clifford Chance, Clyde & Co, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro, Olswang LLP, Cohen & Gresser, Cooley Ltd, Crowd Justice, DAC Beachcroft LLP, David Gray Solicitors, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Dechert LLP, DGM Solicitors, Diligent Law, DMA Law, Expatriate Law, Fried Frank, Goodwin Proctor, Gowling WLG, Hague & Dixon, Helen Robbins Solicitors, Hogan Lovells International LLP, Horsey Lightly Solicitors, Investor Compensation (UK) Ltd, Ives & Co, Jomati Foundation, Kort Ltd, Lanyon Bowdler, Leeds Beckett Law School, Leigh Day & Co, LexisNexis, Lewis Silkin, Linklaters LLP, Malcolm Foy & Co, Meadows Ryan Solicitors, Milburns Solicitors, Mishcon de Reya, Morr & Co, Pockex Tax Ltd, Preston Incorporated Law Society, Redkite Solicitors, Reed Smith LLP, Rees Page Solicitors, Relative Connections, Scott + Scott, Shoosmiths, Simmons & Simmons, Simpson Millar, Solicitors Regulation Authority, Squire Patton Boggs Charitable Trust, The Bar Council, The Law Society of England & Wales, Thompsons Solicitors, Watson Farley & Williams, Wiggin LLP, Windeatts Solicitors, Womble Bond Dickinson, Woolliscrofts Solicitors

We would like to recognise the work of pro bono lawyers who not only successfully represent their clients but also obtain Pro Bono Costs Orders which go on to help many more people have access to pro bono legal advice.

Pépin Aslett of St Johns Buildings, Maxim Cardew of Maitland Chambers, Toby Chandler of Crown Office Chambers, Reuben Comiskey of Radcliffe Chambers, Cecily Crampin of Falcon Chambers, Nicole Davis of Edwin Coe LLP, Ian Denham of Outer Temple Chambers, Siobhan Duncan of Temple Tax Chambers, Harry Eccles-Williams of Mishcon de Reya, Benjamin Faulkner of Wilberforce Chambers, Christine Howard of Weil Gotshal and Manges, Edward Kemp KC of Matrix Chambers, Daniel Kessler of 4 Stone Buildings, Josh Lewison of Radcliffe Chambers, Cathryn McGahey KC of Temple Garden Chambers, Andrew Judge of Westgate Chambers, Sarah Parker of 3 Verulam Buildings, Georgina Peters of South Square Chambers, Brad Pomfret KC of 23 Essex Street, Rhiannon Phelps of Eversheds Sutherland, Rebecca Scammell of Bevirs Law, Harry Stratton of One Essex Court, Kate Traynor of Landmark Chambers, Verity Taylor of Mishcon de Reya, James Watthey of 4 Pump Court

Get involved

You can join us by:

Making a regular personal donation ’ s Demonstrating your company commitment to justice through a donation

Donating your Residual Client Balances

Obtaining a Pro Bono Costs Order Sponsoring and taking part in a fundraising event

If you are passionate about increasing access to justice, please get in touch. ~~CT~~ Visit - us www.atjf.org.uk/support Contact Bhavini Bhatt, Development Director, bhavinibhatt@atjf.org.uk

The Access to Justice Foundation is a company limited by guarantee (No. 6714178) and is a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 1126147) and in Scotland (No. SC048584).

Its registered office is: The Access to Justice Foundation, 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR.