RCJ and Islington Citizens Advice Bureaux

RCJ and Islington Citizens Advice Bureaux, an independent registered charity established over 40 years ago, delivers free, impartial legal and social welfare advice primarily to Royal Courts of Justice users, Islington residents, and surrounding areas across England and Wales. Its core mission advances education, health preservation, and poverty relief, prioritising access to justice and inequality reduction for those facing legal, financial, or social disadvantage. Distinguished by blending Citizens Advice ethos with specialist legal expertise, it mobilises pro bono lawyers, volunteers, and advisers for holistic crisis support amid misfortune, injustice, destitution, or family breakdown. Values of justice, fairness, equality, integrity, collaboration, and evidence-driven practice underpin its responsive, needs-led services.

It funds targeted interventions in access to justice, family breakdown, domestic abuse (e.g., FLOWS programme for women survivors, Time Together child contact centre), homelessness prevention, debt crises, welfare benefits, housing, employment, and immigration via advice lines, casework, in-court support, and outreach partnerships like Debt Free London. Beneficiaries include vulnerable court users, marginalised families, and disadvantaged individuals, with projects serving London (especially Islington) and select national reach.

Funding is invite-only via strategic partnerships, statutory commissions (e.g., Ministry of Justice, Islington Council), or pre-selected consortia—no unsolicited applications or public processes accepted. Eligible partners are typically medium-to-large charities or statutory bodies with capacity for significant service delivery; no strict income thresholds, geographic restrictions beyond London/RCJ focus, or religious limits apply. Typical multi-year grants range £50,000–£500,000 for project delivery, not core/unrestricted/capital funding. Decisions are adhoc, without deadlines. Its unique edge lies in pioneering pro bono models, national legal innovations, and dual role as legal-social anchor for crises.