Overall GiG Score: 21 ?
Finance Score: 2
Governance Score: 8
Support Score: 11
  • Poor Liquidity: -1
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • No conflicts policy: -1
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +11

MARY WARD LEGAL CENTRE 

Provision of free legal, debt and welfare benefits advice to people who live in greater London area.Provide advice, asssistance and representation where appropriate. Specialise in Housing, Employment and debt law and welfare benefits.Our clients are from low income groups.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • This charity does not have a Conflict of Interests policy

Financial issues to consider:

  • Liquidity appears to have been slender at the latest year end
Established: 31 years

www.marywardlegal.org.uk

juliet.woodford@marywardcentre.ac.uk

02072696334

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies House
UN SDGs
?

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/07/22£1,010£1,076£-66£12£126£1261.4190
31/07/21£1,340£1,231£109£12£192£1921.9230
31/07/20£1,232£1,198£34£23£83£830.8240
31/07/19£1,131£1,290£-159£28£49£490.5240
31/07/18*£1,004£1,054£-50£28£173£17321810
31/07/17£945£942£4£17£223£2232.8170
31/07/16£1,009£1,087£-78£16£219£2192.4210
31/07/15£1,052£1,018£35£9£322£3223.8200
31/07/14£1,023£967£56£9£287£2873.6200
31/07/13£1,237£1,243£-6£14£232£2322.2240
31/07/12£1,475£1,485£-10£14£237£2371.9270
31/07/11£1,562£1,516£47£14£247£2472300
31/07/10£1,555£1,518£37£15£201£1951.5310
31/07/09£1,494£1,441£52£12£164£1471.2280
31/07/08£1,517£1,645£-128£11£111£770.6340
31/07/07£1,443£1,349£94£8£239£1981.8350
31/07/06£983£960£22£0£0£0n/a00
31/07/05*£720£750£-30£0£0£0n/a00
31/07/04£713£709£4£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.1%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.1%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 73%
Liabilities/Income: 34%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 1.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 1 months
Quick Ratio: 0.1
Asset Split ?
What it does
  • Accommodation/Housing
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who works here?
  • 19 employees
Who it helps
  • Other Defined Groups
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
Where it operates
  • Throughout London,

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Trust for London£348,000
The Legal Education Foundation£203,974
Access to Justice Foundation£164,500
Department for Education£113,063
City Bridge Trust£104,000
Henry Smith Charity£79,600
DCMS£59,669
AB Charitable Trust£35,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Access to Justice Foundation - Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS)
£82,500 13/09/2022
Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS) is a programme of The Access to Justice Foundation with the Ministry of Justice. We are working with organisations to sustain and improve access to early social ....more
Trust for London - Mary Ward Legal Centre
£159,500 29/06/2022
36
The funding is for a full-time specialist Welfare Benefits Caseworker for three years to provide specialist advice and representation on social security appeals to the First-tier Tribunal and Upper ....more
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2022
£108,000 15/06/2022
A grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 9.
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2021
£10,000 14/12/2021
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£20,000 07/10/2021
An unrestricted grant of £20,000. Mary Ward Legal Centre provides access to justice for people on low incomes in London through the provision of free legal advice and representation in the areas of ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£79,600 09/06/2021
36
towards three years' continuation funding of the running costs of a project to provide assistance for people in London who are homeless, or are at risk of homelessness, and support for people living ....more
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£59,669 26/08/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more
Trust for London - Mary Ward Legal Centre
£44,500 30/07/2020
6
The funding is to enable MWLC provide advice, casework and court/tribunal representation relating to: rent/mortgage arrears; council tax arrears; credit debts; bankruptcy; homelessness; possession ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£15,000 02/07/2020
An unrestricted grant of £15,000. Mary Ward Legal Centre provides access to justice for people on low incomes in London through the provision of free legal advice and representation in the areas of ....more
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£82,000 15/06/2020
A flexible grant as part of wave 1 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID19
Trust for London - Mary Ward Legal Centre
£12,000 13/05/2020
3
The funding is for the costs associated with transforming their free face-to-face advice services to telephone and online advice. Areas of advice include: debt, housing, welfare benefits, employment, ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£104,000 23/04/2020
24
£104,000 continuation funding over two years (£52,000, £52,000) for the Welfare Benefits Caseworker and Volunteer Supervisor (one post) and project running costs.
Department for Education - T - Level Capital
£113,063 01/04/2020
Capital funding to improve facilities for the delivery of T-Levels, for specialist equipment and/or improving builds and facilities.
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2020
£95,974 13/03/2020
A grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 7. Co-funded by Linklaters.
Trust for London - Mary Ward Legal Centre
£132,000 13/06/2019
36
The funding is for a full-time, specialist Welfare Benefits Caseworker for three years to provide specialist advice and representation on social security appeals to the First-tier Tribunal and Upper ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£15,000 03/07/2018
£15,000 towards core costs. Mary Ward Legal Centre works to provide free legal advice for people in London. The areas they help with are debt, housing and welfare benefits, which are delivered ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£73,100 07/12/2017
36
towards three years' running costs of a project that provides support to people in London who are homeless, at risk of homelessness and/or living in poor housing conditions
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Mary Ward Legal Centre
£125,800 24/05/2016
36
£125,800 over three years (£42,100, £41,500, £42,200) for the salary of a full-time Welfare Benefits Caseworker and Volunteer Supervisor (all one post), together with associated project running ....more
Comic Relief - Financially Capable Camden
£75,033 25/11/2015
36
Camden has one of the highest levels of financial exclusion in London with 56% of children living in low income families. The financial inclusion and debt advice services provided by the Mary Ward ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (9)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 46-76
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 23/07/1993, number: 1024148
  • Registered at Companies House on 03/02/1993, number: 02786099
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Complaints handling
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; AR18: 11 days late, AR05: 7 days late,
Main office

Mary Ward Centre
Queensway House
275-285 High Street
LONDON
E15 2TF

Objectives

TO PROVIDE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, IN CONDITION OF NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS WITH ADVICE, INFORMATION, ASSISTANCE & REPRESENTATION DEALING WITH THE QUESTION OF HOUSING WELFARE RIGHTS, EMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION, TAXATION, INSOLVENCY & BANKRUPTCY AND OTHER FINANCIAL & LEGAL PROBLEMS.

Defined Area of Benefit:

IN PRACTICE GTR. LONDON (PEOPLE LIVING/WORKING)

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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