It’s only two weeks until the London Legal Walk’s 10km around London!

This year’s London Legal Walk is nearly upon us. It’s going to be a fantastic turnout with over 900 organisations registered with over 12,000 walkers and counting! With teams gearing up to lend their support for access to justice for all, it will be a fundraising event not to be missed!

On June 13th, thousands of legal professionals and the Lord Chief Justice will be walking across London in support of free legal advice agencies in London and the Southeast. The need for advice from all areas of society is rising and the legal profession is responding with their feet and raising vital funds.

Mary Ward Legal Centre will be walking again on June 13th. They say: "We walk so we can raise funds to help people access their fundamental social welfare law rights. With these funds we can help more people to resolve their pressing housing, welfare benefits, and debt issues. Our work reduces debts, homelessness, and poverty, and challenges discrimination."

A report from Sustain (Good Food for All Londoners, 2022) shows why the demand for help and advice is rising:

• 700,000 families in London are estimated to be living in poverty
• 25% of children in London face hunger during the school holidays
• London boroughs make up five of the top ten UK areas with the highest levels of child poverty.

Many more people in London and across the UK are falling into poverty, which has led to a greater need for advice and support with areas including homelessness, housing issues, debt and money management, workplace discrimination and mental health issues. Alongside this, the advice sector is facing a staff crisis, which requires long-term solutions to sustain this vital sector.

In its 19th year, the London Legal Walk is a force for good. The camaraderie created goes beyond the day and permeates into the advice agencies on the front line and the people walking through their doors when they find themselves in a time of need.

The Legal Services Board, Legal Walk participants, say: "We’ve participated in lots of LLW over the years – with colleagues new and old, and Board members. There is always such a great atmosphere – the weather is invariably lovely, and it’s such a lovely feeling seeing so many people who work in the sector doing something en masse to raise vital funds to help people to access justice. Accessing legal advice at the right time can make a life-changing difference to people."

See you on June 13th for this amazing and inspiring event. If you can’t attend the Walk itself, you can also make a donation in support of the fundraising efforts of others. Just head over to the London Legal Support Trust site or if you know a team taking part, you can donate via their fundraising page.

Who can take part?

The Walk attracts a range of people, from advice agency staff, to lawyers, to law students, to high-ranking judiciary. On the Walk, everyone walks side by side and the fellowship of the event is unmatched.

Where do the funds go?

With the rising cost-of-living and funding cuts, the funds raised by the Walk will be even more vital for securing the future of free legal advice agencies and the communities they serve. Many people are facing serious issues and are in desperate need of free specialist legal advice. Debt, homelessness, unemployment and domestic violence are all contributing to the hardship faced by many. We know accessing justice makes a difference to people’s lives – for example, LLST’s 38 Centres of Excellence alone helped 187,101 people last year.

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Who are The London Legal Support Trust?

London Legal Support Trust is an independent charity that raises funds for free legal services in London & the South East. We also offer our knowledge, contacts, and experience of the sector to help agencies become more sustainable. For 19 years, the London Legal Walk has been bringing together the legal community to support free legal advice services on the frontline.

Notes to Editors

For more information, visit: https://londonlegalsupporttrust.org.uk/our-events/london-legal-walk-2023/

Contact: Nikki Dudley on nikki@llst.org.uk or Philippa Hicks on philippa@llst.org.uk

If you would like any media/images of the London Legal Walk, please get in touch.