Lent Appeal - Bristol Law Centre

You may think everyone has access to free legal advice when they need it – but sadly you are wrong. Paying for legal advice is out of the reach of many of those most disadvantaged in our society, who need to understand their rights and challenge decisions affecting them and their families.


Bristol Law Centre is a local charity providing free legal advice in social welfare law including housing & homelessness, immigration & asylum, welfare benefits, mental health, employment & discrimination. We prevent poverty, keep people in jobs and homes, reinstate benefits, keep families together, give people independence and dignity. We enable people to understand their rights and challenge decisions.


“I had no idea what to do about them stopping my benefits …. 
If Law Centre have not helped me I would lost my home and be crazy now. Thank you so much for saving me.”


We help over 1,200 people a year access justice. We represent clients in court – ‘the other side’ being well resourced – without representation people are often unable to uphold their rights and get on with their lives.


We also help more than 3,000 enquirers, working closely with other charities, support organisations, community organisations and others to promote equality and justice. Most recently we have worked with the council, mental health charities and Hubs like the one here, to improve both understanding of rights and access to advice via community spaces.


The need for legal advice has never been greater and we are reliant on funding from trusts & foundations and from donations like yours. Thank you. 


Karen Bowers

CEO, Bristol Law Centre

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We've seen lots of amazing work in the visitor services department so far this year. SMR stewards have generated over £4,500 donations between January and April 2026 and welcomed over 5000 visitors to the Church. We are welcoming new tour guides to the front of house team with the eventual goal to expand the number of tours we are able to offer to the public. Janet and Reuben have both done their first tours and have received wonderful reviews from visitors. If you are interested in volunteering on the front of house team please contact me on lucy.marshall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk . We have had some amazing feedback from our outreach events as we aim to welcome not only those familiar with SMR but also those that have never been before. These have included film screenings, talks and most recently the Redcliffe Sessions which raised just under £150 for our Lent charity partner, CALM. Thank you to all those who have supported these. The next Redcliffe Session will be in support of SMR and will feature Bristol band Dogsbody on guitar, cello and violin, and songwriter, Alex Pester on 13th June. I am very excited looking into the rest of 2026 for our future events run both in house and by external hirers, more information of which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering at any future SMR events please let me know! Lucy Marshall Visitor Services Coordinator 06.05.2026