October 2016

Use of the law by voluntary Organisations Phase 2

Grant: £200,000
October 5, 2016

This project is to support the Strengthening the Voluntary Sector (STVS) awards programme. The focus chosen for the new five-year programme is building on a belief that better use of the law presents opportunities for parts of the voluntary sector to enhance their ability to pursue their charitable purpose. In turn, better use of the law by the voluntary sector will help to amplify the law’s everyday relevance by situating it within a wider framework advocacy and social change. It also offers opportunities to unlock new sources of financial and other support for legal-related activity and to widen ownership and defence of the law.

Outside the legal voluntary sector, engagement by voluntary organisations in the law is mixed. The law has not assumed a central place in the thinking of voluntary organisations otherwise involved in individual advocacy or the pursuit of wider change. Strategic engagement and collaboration between the legal and voluntary sectors is also rare.

Virtual Law Centre - South West

Grant: £10,000
October 4, 2016

This project is to pilot the harnessing of the pro bono offer from the Bristol legal sector to enable the offering of specialist legal advice to the wider region using partner agencies and technology. It will build on and expand the pro bono clinic which Avon & Bristol Law Centre (ABLC) has been running successfully for many years.

Online Income Generation Capacity Building Pilot

Grant: £50,000
October 4, 2016

The project is to develop a 'freemium' model offering expanded free legal content alongside fee paying content on the Advicenow website. This project is a blended pilot and capacity building phase to test revenue generation ideas by installing and analysing revenue via an ecommerce platform.

Digital Publishing Further Support

Grant: £8,025
October 4, 2016

This project is to enable LAG to continue implementing a business plan to transform the business/charity by using technology to make available LAG's content through digital channels.

Loan to support LAG's Business Plan

Grant: £40,000
October 4, 2016

This project is to enable LAG to continue implementing a business plan to transform the business/charity by using technology to make available LAG's content through digital channels.

Future Advice - A Community Law Centre for Manchester

Grant: £75,000
October 4, 2016

This project is to help establish a law centre for Greater Manchester.

It will

• enable the centre to capitalise on the many offers of volunteer and pro bono support by providing oversight, training and accountability. For example, training and supervising solicitor trainee and welfare benefits advice volunteers
• ensure its work is compliant with the necessary regulatory and supervisory regimes
• enable it to demonstrate the value of the law centre’s legal services so that it can manage the development of a wider portfolio of funding
• augment the public promotion of the need for properly funded legal aid, building on our well attended public meetings and active social media work.

Law Centres 2020 Digital Vision

Grant: £186,000
October 4, 2016

The project is the first phase of a programme to transform the Digital infrastructure of Law Centres nationally. It will establish a minimum (baseline) standard for digital equipment and systems across the network that will enable all Law Centres to:

• be ready for online courts;
• improve both client and office administration;
• assist clients in new ways with digital tools;
• participate in digital initiatives and respond to digital offers; and;
• collect robust data that allows Law Centres and the Network to identify and respond to trends, as well as provide accurate evidence of the impact of Law Centres work.

The project will establish an ongoing subscription system to fund future upgrades and support.