Trustee for a Legal Advice Charity - Volunteer in Croydon

Help shape the future of access to justice in south-west London. We’re seeking passionate new trustees with skills in HR, finance, fundraising or community leadership to support a growing Law Centre helping thousands of people facing housing, debt, immigration and welfare issues each year.

Trustees play an essential role in helping South West London Law Centres continue to provide free legal advice and access to justice services to thousands of people across south-west London. The decisions, challenge and support provided by the board directly influence our ability to remain sustainable, responsive and ambitious in a difficult environment for charities and legal aid providers.

By joining the board, you will help shape the future direction of an organisation supporting people facing housing insecurity, debt, poverty, welfare benefit issues and immigration problems. The board is closely involved in overseeing organisational strategy, financial sustainability, governance and long-term development, ensuring that the Law Centre can continue meeting growing levels of need within local communities.

We are currently at a particularly important stage in our development. Like many organisations in the sector, we are balancing increasing demand for services with financial pressures and wider changes across legal aid and charitable funding. New trustees will therefore have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful discussions about growth, resilience, fundraising, partnerships and community engagement.

Depending on your interests and experience, your contribution may help strengthen areas such as HR, finance, fundraising, governance, organisational development or community representation. Trustees also help bring external perspectives, fresh ideas and constructive challenge, which is invaluable in helping the organisation evolve and improve.

This role will help ensure that SWLLC remains a strong, well-governed and community-focused organisation for the future. Trustees will support an organisation that not only provides legal advice and representation, but also helps people maintain stable housing, secure income, resolve crises and better understand their rights.

Alongside the strategic impact, trustees often find the role personally rewarding. You will work alongside a committed board and senior management team, gain insight into the challenges facing the justice and charity sectors, and play a meaningful part in supporting communities across south-west London.

We are looking for trustees who are committed to access to justice and who want to use their skills, experience and judgement to help support a well-established and ambitious Law Centre serving communities across south-west London. You do not need previous trustee experience to apply. We welcome applications from people from a wide range of professional, community and lived experience backgrounds who can contribute thoughtfully to board discussions and work collaboratively with others.

In particular, we are currently interested in hearing from people with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Human Resources and organisational development
• Finance, accounting or financial oversight
• Fundraising, income generation or donor engagement
• Community leadership, partnership working or grassroots organising
• Governance, strategy or charity leadership
• Legal aid, social justice, housing, welfare or related sectors

We are also keen to hear from people with lived experience of the issues our clients face, including housing insecurity, poverty, welfare benefits issues, immigration challenges or barriers to accessing services. Representation from the communities we serve is extremely important to us and we are committed to building a diverse board with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

Our ideal trustees will be able to think strategically while remaining grounded in the practical realities facing charities and community organisations. We are looking for people who can contribute ideas, ask constructive questions and help support effective decision-making at board level.

Strong communication and relationship-building skills are important, as trustees work closely with fellow board members and the Senior Management Team. We value people who are collaborative, respectful and willing to engage positively in discussion while also offering appropriate challenge where needed.

We are particularly interested in trustees who are motivated by social justice and who understand the importance of good governance, financial sustainability and long-term planning in helping charities achieve meaningful impact. As a board, we are focused on supporting the organisation through a period of both challenge and opportunity, and we welcome trustees who are enthusiastic about helping shape the future direction of the Law Centre.

We recognise that valuable experience can come from many different routes, including professional work, volunteering, campaigning, community leadership or lived experience. If you care about the work we do and believe you could make a positive contribution to the board, we would strongly encourage you to apply.

South West London Law Centres is at an important stage in its development. Demand for our services continues to grow as more people face housing insecurity, debt, welfare benefit problems and immigration issues, while the wider legal aid and charity sectors remain under significant financial pressure. Our board plays a vital role in helping the organisation remain financially sustainable, community-focused and ambitious about the future.

We are currently looking to strengthen and diversify our trustee board as a number of long-standing trustees retire. We are particularly interested in trustees who can help us think strategically about long-term sustainability, organisational resilience, fundraising, governance and community engagement.

Our trustees work closely with the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team and play an active role in supporting the direction of the organisation. We are especially keen to hear from people who want to contribute practical ideas, challenge constructively and help us navigate the opportunities and pressures facing modern charities and legal advice organisations.

The board currently meets six times per year through a mixture of online and in-person evening meetings, alongside participation in one of our subcommittees. Depending on your interests and experience, this could include involvement in areas such as HR, finance, fundraising, strategy or organisational development.

This is an opportunity to contribute to an organisation with a long history of supporting local communities across south-west London and to help shape how access to justice is delivered in the years ahead. Trustees will have the opportunity to influence major decisions around organisational growth, sustainability, visibility, partnerships and the future direction of our services.

Our board has a collaborative and supportive relationship with senior staff and we value trustees who are engaged, thoughtful and motivated by social justice. Whether your experience comes from the charity sector, community work, professional services or lived experience of the issues our clients face, this is a chance to make a meaningful contribution to a well-established and ambitious organisation.