Law centre wins national award

By Sian Bayley, Local Democracy Reporter

A law centre that helps Londoners with housing problems, asylum applications and money and debt advice has won a national award.

South West London Law Centre, which covers Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston, Croydon, Sutton and Merton, was named Legal Aid Firm of the Year at a virtual ceremony this month.

The judges highlighted a story from a client who was able to keep a roof over her and her child’s head this year thanks to the hard work of the team.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Before I came to the Law Centre, I was seriously suicidal. I couldn’t bear the thought of me and my son being on the street, but I didn’t think there was anything I could do to stop it.

“I was being bedroom-taxed but the council refused to let me move to a smaller property. At one point I felt so hopeless I just wanted to make it all end.

“As soon as the Law Centre took my case, I felt so relieved. I was still really stressed out about the thought of being evicted, but I felt like Marie and Laura would take care of it.

“I always felt like the Law Centre took my disability seriously and tried really hard to make me feel as comfortable as possible.’

Chief Executive, Patrick Marples, 52, said the award was a “very strong validation of the work that we do.”

Last year South West London Law Centres helped more than 8,000 local people to understand their legal rights and get justice.

The centre helps people who cannot afford a lawyer, and stops them from being locked out of the justice system.

Pictured top: Patrick Marples