Thousands of lawyers walked 10km around central London last month, to help people access free legal advice especially since the cost of living crisis.
18,000 walkers from London law firms took on the London Legal Walk around the city on June 18, an annual event which has raised over £10.5 million to date for equal access to justice in the UK.
All proceeds go to the London Legal Support Trust (LLST) charity, which saw numbers of people needing legal advice soar since rising inflation, leaving many struggling with debt, housing costs and poverty for the first time in their lives.
Bob Nightingale MBE, founder of LLST, said: “The walk is fantastic, we didn’t realise it would become this big 20 years ago.
“I’ve seen first-hand the need people have for legal advice, and it’s heart-warming seeing the positive impact it has on their lives.
“Access to justice means people should be able to equally access legal support, advice and representation if they need to, irrespective of their financial position.”
Nightingale explained how in 2022, LLST kickstarted a cost of living advice project to aid spiralling debts, benefit entitlement, unlawful evictions and redundancies, after living costs hit a forty year high in the UK.
2.5 million people were at risk of financial crisis due to coronavirus just six months into the pandemic, with £10 billion of coronavirus-related household debt in Great Britain, according to debt charity StepChange.
LLST funds free legal advice centres and over 100 organisations across London and the Southeast, helping agencies reduce costs and save money via voluntary or discounted schemes.
Gail Cobley, director of law firm Blick Rothenberg, gives her time pro bono to free legal advice organisations such as Tax Aid, whose own firm took part in the Legal Walk this year.
Cobley said: “The London Legal Walk is very meaningful to us as an organisation, and all about being part of the legal community.
“Our purpose as a firm is to improve the lives of clients, colleagues and communities in a sustainable way.
“Since lockdown, the number of people requiring legal aid assistance has risen and fundraising is one way we can improve their access to these services.”
The funding gap for legal advice has nearly doubled to over £30 million in the UK, with many free legal advice providers at breaking point as need from their clients grows.
In 2022, LLST helped more than 187,000 people in the UK through free legal advice centres it funds.
Rebecca Saunders, 28, from the West Midlands turned to free legal aid services after being unfairly dismissed from her job during lockdown.
Saunders discovered the news in 2021, after being removed from her company’s WhatsApp group chat on Christmas Eve.
She said: “It was a really scary period in my life, I was so confused.
“If I hadn’t had free legal support, I don’t know what would have happened.
“It’s reassuring knowing there are people out there who can help.”
Saunders was pointed to a ‘no win no fee’ strategy and appointed a free legal representative, frustrated at the very little COVID-19 case law which would help her situation.
LLST also hosts 11 other regional fundraising walks each summer, including Oxford, Brighton, Southampton and Tunbridge Wells.
This year’s London Legal Walk was the largest in its 20 year history, starting on Carey Street behind the Royal Courts of Justice.
Attendees included Dame Sue Carr, the first woman to serve as Lady Chief Justice, head of the judiciary across England and Wales.
Photo credit goes to Gail Cobley.
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