Background

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Kings Chambers Community Initiative

The Kings Chambers Community Initiative was founded in 2021 with the aim of helping to improve the quality of life of individuals and families in our local communities by removing obstacles and helping people achieve their personal aspirations & reach their fullest potential.

Kings Chambers has a long history of supporting the local communities in which we are based. Social Responsibility is at the heart of our values and also our strategic objectives. We are committed to embracing new initiatives to ensure we operate as an environmentally sustainable organisation.  This Initiative was set up in order to better focus our efforts in helping those in need through both financial and educational support as well as pro-bono work.  We have a designated CSR committee dedicated to our involvement in our wider community and the success of all projects we are involved in.

We are proud to have embarked on a number of initiatives to provide a greater awareness of the legal profession as well as helping to shape the barrister of the future.

Such initiatives include participation in the 10,000 Black Interns programme. The 10,000 Black Interns Programme aims to transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the UK by offering paid work experience across a wide range of industries, as well as world-class training and development.

We recognise the importance of education in equipping people with the tools to achieve their potential. There are a wide range of schemes in which Kings Chambers Barristers are involved in.

A number of members are involved with the Bar Council Mentoring Scheme aimed at assisting aspiring barristers, barristers with parental obligations and those considering furthering their career in silk or the judiciary.

Many barristers who have children in school invariably volunteer to give talks at careers events or be involved in mock trials.

We have members involved in the Pembroke College Oxford outreach programme whose aim is to encourage pupils from non-traditional backgrounds to apply to the UK’s top universities including Oxford.

Kings Chambers and four other sets specialising in Planning, Property and Public Law, Cornerstone Barristers, Field Court Chambers, Landmark Chambers and FTB Chambers, have set up a mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups at the Bar.

The scheme is intended to encourage undergraduates and postgraduates from groups that are not well represented at the Bar to consider becoming barristers. It will run from October 2021 to June 2022 and aims to provide advice and guidance to suitable candidates on the process of becoming a barrister specialising in planning, property and public law.

PEBA and each of the partner Chambers recognise the importance of driving equality and diversity in the Bar and hope this Mentoring Scheme can lay the foundations to creating a profession that is representative of all and for all by introducing those from a non-traditional background into the profession. It is inspired by a similar scheme launched by a collection of commercial sets.

In addition to our participation in various external schemes, we host our own annual Mini Pupillage Programme internally. Our programme includes court visits, workshops, talks from Kings Chambers Barristers and Clerks, visiting Judges and other guest speakers. Previous years have seen us welcome 20 or so aspiring barristers into chambers for our unique 3-day event which provides an extensive introduction to a career as a barrister. Undeterred by the pandemic, we decided to continue our 2020 and 2021 programmes virtually. Holding these events virtually meant we could accommodate significantly more students with aspirations of a career at the Bar. Our virtual fairs were very successful and almost 200 University & A-Level students, as well as other prospective pupils, attended.

Kings Chambers understands the benefits of forging relationships with organisations in our communities and is proud of its longstanding partnerships with several worthy causes.

We recognise the importance of these charitable partnerships and are committed to ensuring they have maximum impact.

The Kings Chambers Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence & Healthcare teams are proud to have been supporting the Child Brain Injury Trust for some 8 years now. We regularly fundraise on behalf of CBIT, whilst also supporting the organisation of fundraising events such as golf days and quizzes.

The Child Brain Injury Trust is the leading voluntary sector organisation providing emotional and practical support, information and learning opportunities for families and professionals affected by childhood acquired brain injury across the UK.

Members of the team have also recently been actively fundraising for Day One Trauma Support alongside Irwin Mitchell. Day One is a growing charity that we plan to support and work alongside much more closely in the next year and beyond.

With poverty affecting one-fifth of the UK population, Kings Chambers aims to fundraise and support local charities doing vital work in this area.

Through the initiative, we will work with local charities that provide relief in two primary areas of poverty:

  • Homelessness & Hunger
  • Child & Family Welfare

Kings Chambers has regularly fundraised and donated to the Wood Street Mission for many years. The charity provides practical help for the day to day needs of children and families living on low income in Manchester & Salford. They have various initiatives throughout the year to promote engagement through education, raise awareness about child poverty and provide basic essentials, clothing bedding to struggling families.

More recently we have fundraised for The Booth Centre, a local homelessness charity which is a community centre run with people affected by homelessness.

Kings Chambers recognises that pro bono work is critical to the provision of access to justice and meeting the legal needs of individuals and community groups who cannot afford to pay for advice and representation where public funding is not available. Kings Chambers has a proud history of offering pro bono services to those who require it.

In collaboration with Advocate, the pro bono charity of the Bar, our in-house Champions Ruth Stockley (Planning Barrister) and Mark Ronson (Senior Clerk) help to promote pro bono matters across chambers. Barristers of Kings Chambers who volunteer with Advocate have assisted in cases ranging from employment, complex probate, contracts, specialist medical treatment and Court of Protection matters.

Members of the Planning team work with the Environmental Law Foundation to provide pro bono services on a wide range of planning & environmental matters.

Members of the Business & Property team work with the Chancery Bar Litigant in Person Support Scheme (CLIPS) This scheme is run by the Chancery Bar Association in collaboration with the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Royal Courts of Justice Advice Bureau.

The Leeds Business & Property Courts Litigant in Person (LIP) Support Scheme launched in September 2023, providing representation on every second and fourth Tuesday of the month in the Companies Court winding-up list and in the BPC District Judges’ Applications List at Leeds Combined Court Centre. The scheme will assist those who are unable to afford representation and will operate under Advocate’s licence, with the support of the Judiciary. Eleanor Temple is the Scheme Administrator.

Many of our members are involved in other pro bono activities such as with IPSEA, an Independent Provider of Special Education Advice offering free and independent legally based information advice & support to help get the right education for children & young people with various kinds of special educational needs.

For more information on our chosen charities, please see below:

Manchester

36 Young Street,
Manchester,
M3 3FT

DX: 718188 MCH 3
Telephone: 0161 832 9082

Details

Leeds

5 Park Square,
Leeds,
LS1 2NE

DX: 713113 LEEDS PARK SQ
Telephone: 0113 242 1123

Details

Birmingham

Embassy House,
60 Church Street,
Birmingham,
B3 2DJ

DX: 13023 BIRMINGHAM
Telephone: 0121 200 3570

Details

Company information


Manchester,
36 Young Street
Greater Manchester
M3 3FT
DX: 718188 MCH 3
Telephone: 0161 832 9082

Leeds,
5 Park Square,
Leeds,
Yorkshire
LS1 2NE
DX: 713113 LEEDS PARK SQ
Telephone: 0113 242 1123

Birmingham,
Embassy House,
60 Church Street,
Birmingham,
B3 2DJ
DX: 13023 BIRMINGHAM
Tel: 0121 200 3570

Hours: 8:30am-6:00pm Mon-Fri,
closed Sat, Sun

Out of hours (Emergency Treatment Cases Only):
Stephen Loxton: 07971 176 422
Paul Clarke: 07747 052 827

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