REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 01417251 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 287462

HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM COMMUNITY LAW

CENTRE

UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Page

Reference and administrative details

1

Report of the trustees

2

to

4

Independent examiner's report

5

Statement of financial activities

6

Balance sheet

7

to

8

Cash flow statement

9

Notes to the cash flow statement

10

Notes to the financial statements

11

to

19

TRUSTEES

Marjory Clark

Joanna Patricia Kennedy

Tony Martin - Chair of Trustee Board

Tushar Singh

Rebecca Harvey (resigned 17.6.24)

Karen Tarn

Barbara Beese - Vice Chair

Laura Janes

Chaya Inturi

John Durand - Treasurer

Benjamin John Coleman MP (appointed 13.3.25)

COMPANY SECRETARY

Joanna Patricia Kennedy

REGISTERED OFFICE

1st Floor, Hammersmith Library

Shepherds Bush Road

Hammersmith

W6 7AT

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER

01417251 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER

287462

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Berringers LLP

Lygon House

50 London Road

Bromley

Kent

BR1 3RA

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The Law Centre exists to tackle unmet legal need. The Centre's principal activity continues to be the provision of specialist legal advice and representation mainly to persons resident in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and across wider London.

The Law Centre aims to relieve the poverty of suffering and distress, to advance the education of persons, and to advance any charitable purposes beneficial for the persons mainly resident or working in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The strategies employed to achieve the charity's objectives are to:

*

Continue to provide our existing specialist advice and representation services and to expand our remit to include policy and local campaigning work.

*

Continue the family law pro-bono clinic run with the BPP Law School.

*

Continue to strengthen the financial position of the Centre and increase grant income to provide for new areas of work.

*

Work in partnership with other organisations in Hammersmith and Fulham and surrounding boroughs to develop advice services, share resources, prevent duplication and identify any gaps in provision.

*

Develop strategic advice initiatives through the Advice Forum.

*

Organise training for the advice sector on relevant legal issues.

Significant activities

The Law Centre has a variety of funding streams. The organisation has been proactive in researching and securing funding to ensure that they continue to meet their goals and objectives

.

The Law Centre has contracts with the Legal Aid Agency to provide advice and representation in housing and immigration and asylum cases. It also has two HLPAS contracts with the Legal Aid Agency to provide representation on housing duty days at Wandsworth County Court and Brentford County Court.

Our charitable status gives us the ability to attract resources which enable us to extend our services well beyond the limited areas for which legal aid is available.

Housing Issues still remain a key issue within the borough. Housing advice that is out of scope for legal aid has been able to be provided because of funding from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. This has meant we have been able to target resources locally where it is most needed.

The immigration team continue to provide advice to women who have been released from custody through the Protea Clinic.

We have continued our partnership with BPP Law school to provide a pro-bono clinic in family law.

We are active members of the Law Centre Network which allows us to feed our experiences of poverty and destitution into awareness raising nationwide.

We are active in the Local Authority's Costs of Living Steering Group, inputting into local resource allocation and strategy.

Public benefit

The trustees consider that the objectives and aims of the charity described above, enabled it to meet its obligations to the Charity Commission to deliver aid and assistance to the local community in Hammersmith & Fulham.

Volunteers

The Law Centre offers opportunities to a small number of volunteers to assist with legal casework as well as administrative work, and we are grateful to them all.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Charitable activities

Strategic work was supported by grants from London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and London Legal Support Trust.

The Law Centre continued to meet its objectives in casework outcomes. We achieved success in a very high proportion of our cases. We represented people in the county court preventing possession and evictions and in the Immigration Tribunal in their asylum appeals. Training in all our areas of law was provided to local advice agencies.

The Law Centre achieved this by:

*

Providing specialist legal advice and representation in the areas of housing, immigration and asylum and employment law.

*

Providing training in legal rights for local advice and community agencies.

*

Providing representation at Wandsworth and Brentford County Courts on housing possession duty days.

*

Organising and chairing Hammersmith & Fulham Advice Forum.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The reserves policy seeks to provide financial stability and maintain reserves to ensure uninterrupted operation and provide time to adjust to a change in financial circumstances. The trustees have established policies to build and maintain unrestricted reserves to a level to support the charity's core expenditure for a minimum period of 6 months.

This policy is reviewed at least annually. After reviewing the current level of reserves, the trustees made a decision to hold reserves in excess of the reserves policy in the short term, to reflect the uncertain funding environment relating to grant renewals.

Financial position

The principal funding source of the Law Centre continues to be the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Legal Aid Agency.

The Law Centre has continued efforts to secure funds and develop additional projects. Professional services provided by salaried staff and volunteers has been maintained.

The Centre's gross income was lower this year at £633,200 (2024: £664,486) and expenditure increased to £555,839 (2024: £531,456). This resulted in net incoming resources of £77,361 (2024: £133,050). At the year end, restricted funds amounted to £Nil (2024: £Nil), while unrestricted funds increased to £671,425 (2024: £594,064).

FUTURE PLANS

We continue to seek to expand our grant funding to make up for continued shortfall in Legal Aid. We will continue to seek new funding to expand and improve our services and to fund our non legal aid work in employment law. Maximizing Legal Aid will continue to be a priority in both housing and immigration.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The company is a charity and is limited by guarantee, and not having a share capital, each member undertakes to contribute a sum not exceeding £1 in the event of the company being wound up. The company is bound by its memorandum and articles of association.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The profile of the trustees is intended to reflect the local community interests in the work that the Centre undertakes for the benefit of the community. Trustees are drawn from the local area and local authority councillors. Trustee membership is intended to reflect the ethnic and social diversity of the borough and equally represent men and women. Trustees will actively seek to recruit new members to ensure a balance of skills, knowledge, qualities and experience to support current and future needs of the Centre.

Trustees will, at least every two years, carry out a skills audit of its membership to ensure that all the skills necessary to run the Centre are available to the Trustee Board.

Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting or co-opted as necessary during the year. All new Trustees are subject to a process of application and interview.

Organisational structure

The Trustee Board is responsible for oversight of the effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the Centre and the safeguarding of its assets. The members of the Trustee Board are both directors of the company and trustees of the charity.

Day to day management of the Centre is delegated to the CEO who reports to the Trustees. The CEO has overall responsibility for managing income and expenditure, budgeting and financial reporting.

The Trustee Board meets at least 6 times per annum.

Trustees are not entitled to remuneration for their services to the company or for any service which they undertake for the company. Reasonable expenses may be paid in connection with the exercise of Trustees' powers and the discharge of responsibilities in relation to the company.

Induction and training of new trustees

All Trustees will receive induction in relation to the work of the Centre and work and responsibilities of the Management Committee.

All Trustees will be provided with 'Rules for the Proper Conduct and Management of the Centre' and will be expected to conduct themselves within the responsibilities set out in Appendix 3 - Responsibilities of individual members of the Management Committee, and Appendix 2 - The seven Principles of Public Life.

Governance training will be provided for all Trustees on a regular basis.

.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 8 December 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Tony Martin - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Hammersmith And Fulham Community Law Centre ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4.

the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Ricky Hutson BSc FCCA ACA

Berringers LLP

Lygon House

50 London Road

Bromley

Kent

BR1 3RA

8 December 2025

2025

2024

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

3,711

-

3,711

1,094

Charitable activities

4

Charitable activities

262,300

366,555

628,855

662,662

Investment income

3

634

-

634

730

Total

266,645

366,555

633,200

664,486

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

5

Charitable activities

189,284

366,555

555,839

531,436

NET INCOME

77,361

-

77,361

133,050

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

594,064

-

594,064

461,014

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

671,425

-

671,425

594,064

2025

2024

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

11

5,723

-

5,723

7,550

CURRENT ASSETS

Stocks

12

244,590

-

244,590

189,914

Debtors

13

136,472

-

136,472

148,929

Cash at bank and in hand

340,955

15,833

356,788

365,392

722,017

15,833

737,850

704,235

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

14

(56,315

)

(15,833

)

(72,148

)

(117,721

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

665,702

-

665,702

586,514

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

671,425

-

671,425

594,064

NET ASSETS

671,425

-

671,425

594,064

FUNDS

15

Unrestricted funds

671,425

594,064

TOTAL FUNDS

671,425

594,064

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 8 December 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

Tony Martin - Trustee

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

1

(7,192

)

105,568

Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities

(7,192

)

105,568

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchase of tangible fixed assets

(2,046

)

(3,446

)

Interest received

634

730

Net cash used in investing activities

(1,412

)

(2,716

)

Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period

(8,604

)

102,852

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period

365,392

262,540

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period

356,788

365,392

1.	RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2025

2024

£

£

Net income for the reporting period (as per the Statement of financial activities)

77,361

133,050

Adjustments for:

Depreciation charges

3,874

3,563

Interest received

(634

)

(730

)

(Increase)/Decrease in work in progress

(54,676

)

(33,927

)

Decrease in debtors

12,457

6,433

Decrease in creditors

(45,574

)

(2,821

)

Net cash (used in)/provided by operations

(7,192

)

105,568

2.	ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

At 1.4.24

Cash flow

At 31.3.25

£

£

£

Net cash

Cash at bank and in hand

365,392

(8,604

)

356,788

365,392

(8,604

)

356,788

Total

365,392

(8,604

)

356,788

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Improvements to property

-

10% on cost

Law library

-

25% on cost

Computer equipment

-

25% on cost

Work in progress

Work in progress relates to legal aid and is recognised at the point where the amounts due to the charity can be estimated reliably, with reference to the stage of completion at the balance sheet date.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Deferred income

Grant and other income received in advance is initially recognised on the balance sheet as deferred income and is then released to the Statement of Financial Activities matched to the specific period it relates to.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2025

2024

£

£

Donations

3,711

1,094

3.	INVESTMENT INCOME

2025

2024

£

£

Deposit account interest

634

730

4.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

2025

2024

Activity

£

£

Grants

Charitable activities

331,685

378,052

Legal advice & services

Charitable activities

185,290

177,055

Funds from LB Hammersmith & Fulham

Charitable activities

111,880

107,555

628,855

662,662

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

2025

2024

£

£

Hammersmith United Charities

-

7,500

Law Centre Network

35,552

22,891

London Legal Support Trust

44,599

45,625

Trust for London

70,581

62,069

AB Charitable Trust

25,208

21,042

Access to Justice

-

37,500

City Bridge

60,900

58,800

Riverhouse

6,250

8,750

The Legal Education Foundation

59,667

55,688

Home office EUSS

-

3,815

Nationwide Community Grants

-

47,855

Ministry of Justice

21,328

6,517

London Councils

7,600

-

331,685

378,052

5.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Support

Direct

costs (see

Costs

note 6)

Totals

£

£

£

Charitable activities

497,924

57,915

555,839

6.	SUPPORT COSTS

Governance

Other

costs

Totals

£

£

£

Charitable activities

45,297

12,618

57,915

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

2025

2024

Charitable

Total

activities

activities

£

£

Rent

20,000

20,000

Insurance

2,444

1,936

Telephone

2,962

3,288

Postage, printing & stationery

5,050

5,596

Sundries

2,127

320

Travel & subsistence

2,128

1,506

Bank charges

877

921

Subscriptions

4,066

2,898

File storage

1,769

1,310

Depreciation of tangible fixed assets

3,874

3,563

Legal & professional fees

7,618

15,651

Independent examination

5,000

4,620

57,915

61,609

7.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

2025

2024

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

3,873

3,563

8.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

9.	STAFF COSTS

2025

2024

£

£

Wages and salaries

408,657

394,436

Social security costs

34,078

33,053

Other pension costs

22,177

20,774

464,912

448,263

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

2025

2024

Legal advice

12

10

Administration

3

3

15

13

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

Key management received remuneration of £56,515 (2024: £55,225).

10.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

fund

funds

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

1,094

-

1,094

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

239,738

422,924

662,662

Investment income

730

-

730

Total

241,562

422,924

664,486

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

108,512

422,924

531,436

NET INCOME

133,050

-

133,050

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

461,014

-

461,014

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

594,064

-

594,064

11.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Improvements

Fixtures

to

and

Law

Computer

property

fittings

library

equipment

Totals

£

£

£

£

£

COST

At 1 April 2024

3,774

1,196

5,968

23,021

33,959

Additions

-

-

-

2,046

2,046

At 31 March 2025

3,774

1,196

5,968

25,067

36,005

DEPRECIATION

At 1 April 2024

2,358

1,196

5,968

16,887

26,409

Charge for year

377

-

-

3,496

3,873

At 31 March 2025

2,735

1,196

5,968

20,383

30,282

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2025

1,039

-

-

4,684

5,723

At 31 March 2024

1,416

-

-

6,134

7,550

12.

STOCKS

2025

2024

£

£

Work in progress

244,590

189,914