TOWER HAMLETS LAW CENTRE Annual Review 2007-2008

CHAIR’S REPORT
I am delighted to once again invite you to consider the
annual review for Tower Hamlets Law Centre for the period
2007-8. The Law Centre has been providing free legal
advice since 1969 but this last year has been extremely
challenging for the voluntary sector in general and for Law
Centres in particular.
We have seen many Law Centres across the UK close
as statutory authorities are unable to sustain existing
funding levels for the provision of free legal help and
contracts are awarded to private companies.
This has been a trend that has pre-dated the “credit
crunch” and the changes to the Legal Service Commission
contract in October 2007 and the introduction of highly
competitive large scale tendering for contracts (which tend
to favour large private practice firms over smaller not for
profit agencies) has also adversely effected how successful
we can be in tendering for new work.
These are worrying times for us but we are determined
that the needs of our clients in one of the poorest and most
diverse areas of the United Kingdom will continue to be our
priority as we consider whether we can take on funding
contracts.
We must thank all of our skilled staff and dedicated
volunteers who despite the difficulties and challenges that
we face continue to provide an excellent service to people
seeking specialist legal advice and who continue to strive
and innovate to ensure the survival of the centre and its
services.
We have new and exciting projects that have started this
year; the Tower Hamlets Community Advice Network
funded by Advice Plus / Big Lottery Fund, a new
Employment and Discrimination group that works across
East London (funded by the EHRC and London Councils)
and the consolidation of services to young homeless people
and children and young people facing difficulties with their
education (funded by London Councils) and we are partners
in other exciting initiatives. This development work has
been supported by the Big Lottery and the London Legal
Support Trust.
We continue to seek new members of our management
committee who can give us the perspective of the different
groups of people that we aim to help, such as young people,
people with disabilities and people from minority
communities. We also seek board members with particular
skills that will assist the expansion of the business side of
the Law Centre. If you are interested please get in touch
with Sue Brown, the Centre Manager (email
s.brown@thlc.co.uk or telephone 020 7375 7135).
Our Senior Solicitor, Bolaji Bishi, has been dedicated in
ensuring the smooth running of the centre through a period
of change and we would like to thank all the staff for being
flexible and adaptable in meeting the new demands that are
placed upon them, ensuring that our service remains of a
high standard at a time of great change.
A big thank you to our funders and to the individuals that
kindly make donations both in terms of financial support and
the gift of time and resources to support the work of the
centre.
Last but not least I thank my fellow trustees who have
given their time on a voluntary basis to take legal
responsibility for the overall management and decisions of
the Law Centre.
Derek Cox
Chair
Sue Brown
Centre Manager
Bolaji Bishi
Senior Solicitor
Tower Hamlets Law Centre
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