Centres of Excellence

The Centres of Excellence programme was developed back in 2014 in response to the LASPO changes and reductions in legal aid funding which had caused many free legal advice agencies to close or be at risk of closure. 

The aim was to provide core funding and development support to free, specialist legal advice agencies across London and the South East, to help them become stable and remain viable in a very difficult climate. 

We wanted to support client centred organisations with progressive and positive attitudes to go beyond constant firefighting, and be able to focus on the work they do best – helping people with their legal problems.  

It is very much a partnership between LLST and our funded partners. While LLST provide funding and support, our partners provide us with a rich source of information about the challenges facing the sector, helping us to shape and provide other support including projects like the London Specialist Advice Forum, the Billing Pproject and our work in the Advice Workforce Development Fund. 

The programme is funded using money raised from the London Legal Walk and other LLST events, with additional funding provided by the City Bridge Foundation. In 2020 the National Lottery Community Fund became another funding partner. 

The Centres of Excellence programme has historically been based around a diagnostic process carried out by an independent, experienced consultant. It looked at how the organisation was being run, the challenges it faced and both the level and type of support needed to help improve effectiveness and/or efficiency. 

That process is now part of the wider review of the programme as we look at ways to provide a more equitable, transparent and accessible application process and ensure the funding and support available is making a positive difference to the organisations we work with, the free legal advice sector as a whole and most importantly the individuals and families who are struggling with access to justice. 

The specific eligibility criteria for the programme is also part of the wider review, but we will always remain committed to supporting charitable organisations providing free, specialist social welfare legal advice services across London and the South East. 

If that sounds like your organisation, and you’d like to be notified when the programme reopens, please do get in touch or sign up for our voluntary sector mailing here.