Clive Anderson, the award-winning presenter and comedy writer, will be making a BBC Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group). The Appeal will be broadcast on Sunday 22nd January and repeated on Thursday 26th January.
LawWorks supports the provision of pro bono by solicitors, law schools and law students, including supporting a network of over 220 independent advice clinics and connecting solicitors with smaller charities needing free legal advice.
The Appeal will feature the story of Trish, a 59 year old grandmother who has been caring for Billy, her 18 year old grandson, since he was 3. Billy is severely disabled and is blind, autistic and has epilepsy. Trish had to give up full-time work to care for Billy, but she struggled to get support when Billy turned 18. Unable to pay for a lawyer and not eligible for legal aid, Trish received pro bono legal advice from Nicole, a solicitor volunteering at a pro bono advice clinic in a children’s hospice. Following correspondence with the NHS, Billy now receives extra night-time respite care and additional respite care at weekends.
Clive Anderson, talking about the Appeal for LawWorks, said:
“LawWorks is a charity that brings together lawyers to give their time for free to help people who need legal advice. Finding volunteer lawyers giving their services for free requires organisation, and organisation requires money. If someone’s life is in turmoil and they can get over a legal hurdle that might be them set up for life. That’s why I am doing the Appeal – and I like to improve the image of lawyers as well, because they sometimes get a bad press!”
Martin Barnes, Chief executive of LawWorks, said:
“We are delighted that LawWorks has been chosen for an Appeal, and very grateful to Clive Anderson for making the appeal for us. As well as raising funds for our charitable work, the Appeal is an opportunity to highlight the profession’s commitment to pro bono and the difference free legal advice can make to individuals and communities.’
The Appeal on behalf of LawWorks will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 7.54am on Sunday 22nd January (repeated at 9.26pm) and again on Thursday 26th January at 3.27pm.
For more information please visit:
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnc7
LawWorks: https://www.lawworks.org.uk/about-us/bbc-radio-4-appeal
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Notes for editors:
- LawWorks is a charity working in England and Wales to connect volunteer lawyers both with people in need of legal advice, who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay, and with the not for profit organisations that support them and their communities. LawWorks believes in the power of pro bono legal advice to improve the lives of people in need. For additional information about LawWorks, please visit: www.lawworks.org.uk
- Clive Anderson is a barrister by training, but he is best known for being an award-winning presenter and comedy writer. Winner of the British Comedy Award in 1991, Clive rose to fame as the host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and went on to front ten series of his own show, Clive Anderson Talks Back on Channel 4 and four series of Clive Anderson All Talk on BBC 1. Currently, he presents Loose Ends on Radio 4 and Unreliable Evidence, in which he discusses legal issues with major figures from the world of the law.
High-resolution pictures of Clive Anderson presenting the Appeal are available on request.
- The clinics in the LawWorks Network are independent and self-managed. LawWorks supports the development of new clinics, from initial idea stage through to piloting and launch, as well as providing ongoing support (including troubleshooting), information and resources for established clinics. Resources for clinics in the Network include free access to legal research tools, secure document storage solutions, as well as factsheets, toolkits, and access to training (including online videos and podcasts).
- LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales, the independent professional body for solicitors.
- Press contact: Valerie Hudson t: 020 7 092 3952 or 07960 575 679 e: valerie.hudson@lawworks.org.uk