Pro Bono Requests – Can you assist?
Pro bono requests from Charities:
1. Overview - Mothers for Mothers is a Bristol based charity which offers maternal mental health and emotional wellbeing support, advice and information to women, birthing people and their families in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. “As mothers who have lived experience of depression, anxiety and isolation during pregnancy or after the birth of one or more of our babies, we understand how hard early parenthood can feel and how difficult it can be to ask for help.”
The charity is acting as lead provider on a joint bid to deliver a 5 year perinatal, mental health support contract from NHS Bristol, N. Somerset & S. Glos Integrated Care Board. If successful with the bid, this will lead to new innovation in how the support is provided by a partnership of local organisations with specialist knowledge and also provide a bit of financial stability for these organisations.
Pro bono request – Employment Law: The charity is seeking advice on whether TUPE may apply to this NHS contract. They would really appreciate if a volunteer could review the ITT (Invitation To Tender) and provide some advice on any aspects which may relate to TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations).
The charity’s CEO has already prepared a TUPE document in case it does apply to save time, but she has a feeling there may be caveats and would be very grateful if a volunteer could review and advise.
When – QUICK TURNAROUND – The ITT is being issued on Fri on 7th March and the deadline to reply is Fri 14 March, therefore the charity would really appreciate this help during the w.c. Mon 20th March 2025
2. Overview - Small Stuff Baby Bank is a small charity in Radstock which receives donated, children's clothes, toys and equipment, from local families, charities and organisations and passes them on, for free, to families who need them in Bath & NE Somerset. Supporting families in need and reducing waste in the process!
The charity is being required by a landlord to leave its current premises at short notice by 1st April 2025. They have identified two new properties with supportive landlords that have offered favourable rental terms due to the charity’s positive impact for local families.
Property 1. Landlord is Radstock Co-operative Society Acting agent – Steven R Lee Property Consultants; Property 2. Is on the grounds of Bishop Henderson School in Coleford owned by Somerset County Council)
The charity is seeking assistance to review and agree the commercial leases on both of the new properties. The property owned by Somerset Council will provide the charity with a small ‘outreach’ base for their service to reach further into the more rural communities in B&NES!
Pro bono request – Property/ Real Estate: The charity is seeking assistance from one or two law firms to agree the leases on two commercial properties, each with a separate landlord. I.e. One firm could advise on both leases or two firms could each advise on one of the leases to spread out the work?
When – Due to the charity having to leave its current premises by April 1st 2025, they would greatly appreciate support from the kind volunteers during March 2025 if possible. If they do not agree the leases by April 1st the school has indicated that the charity can at least store its baby goods in the premises before the lease is agreed.
Requests from private individuals:
3. Overview - “I am part of a group of 15 families whose children attend Cotham Gardens Primary School (CGPS) in Bristol. Part of bilingual families, our children also attend Ecole Francaise de Bristol (EFB), to practise and learn French. The school offers a day-release model, quite unique in the region, which means pupils miss a day at 'English' school to attend the French one, though with regards to attendance monitoring for the local government, pupils are 'in attendance' all days of the week.
CGPS has informed us of their decision to cease the arrangement that allows our children to attend EFB on day-release from September 2025. They have shared documentation used for and recording of that decision process and their main points seem to be:
- Other bilingual pupils go to language schools at the weekend - failing to acknowledge that for French, there is no such offer in Bristol
- An inclusive approach to demands for day release means no difference in agreement and the school is now receiving requests for day release for forest school - but is that a fair comparison? Could they not honour the arrangements for pupils already enrolled but refuse future ones?
- Our pupils, considered by the school as English as an Additional Language, would benefit from full attendance at 'English' school. We feel most of our children have French as an additional language, English being their primary one and none of us have been approached individually by the school with concerns that some of them may be struggling with their learning as per the UK Curriculum
This is probably not the full picture, but in short, we have asked the school for a meeting.
Pro bono request – We would like some advice as to what recourse/escalation we may have as a group to challenge the school’s decision to no longer allow day release for French lessons with an external provider, which we feel as not been assessed properly”
When – Will work around the availability of a volunteer during March 2025
4. Overview - Commercial contract dispute advice: We are looking for a volunteer (or two) to assist with a contractual dispute involving two local individuals. These individuals previously ran a small events business which, unfortunately, had to wind up due to lack of profitability. They had planned three events for 2025, but the closure of the business has left them with very limited means and unable to fulfil these events.
The individuals entered into an agreement with another events business that purchased the events and agreed to honour the tickets sold to date. However, the new events business has now cancelled the last event for 2025 and is refusing to provide refunds to the ticket holders who purchased through the original company.
Pro bono request – The individuals are seeking advice on how to proceed and whether they are liable for the refunds to ticket holders. There is a contract between the two businesses that can be reviewed, which may provide further clarity on the matter.
Additionally, the individuals have been subjected to online harassment by a number of ticket holders, which has caused them extreme distress. They would also like guidance on how to protect themselves from this online harassment if possible. If you have the capacity to support these individuals, please let us know.
When – The individuals would appreciate this support as soon as a kind volunteer(s) is able to assist.
If you can assist on any of these matters, please contact West of England Pro Bono Committee on westofengland@probonocommittee.uk