Sponsored Walk For Free Legal Advice Services

Published on: 3 Jun, 2019
Updated on: 2 Jun, 2019

Teams of people connected to the legal profession and those who offer legal advice will be taking part in The Guildford Legal Walk on Monday, July 8.

The 10km walk through the Surrey countryside, starting at Guildford Law Courts at 5.30pm, is to raise funds for free legal advice services. Last year’s walk raised £10,500.

This year funds are being raised to extend the services of South West London Law Centres’ Kingston upon Thames branch throughout Surrey to become the Kingston and Surrey branch.

It is aimed to help hundreds of the poorest people in Surrey – currently a legal aid “desert” for all areas of social welfare law with no legal aid for housing, community care, or any other social welfare areas of law.

One of the teams taking part is Citizens Advice – Guildford who are using the walk as part of its 80th anniversary fundraising campaign, having been established just one week after the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

Back then the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) helped people with wartime rationing queries, blackout regulation and debt problems. Guildford was among the first towns to offer this service.

Citizens Advice – Guildford has not stood still, and today offers free confidential advice to people on a wide range of issues including the complexities of changes to the benefits system, employment, housing issues, debt and much more besides.

It provides a vital front-line service for those within the community who are in greatest need or least able to cope, over the phone, online or in person at our offices at 15 to 21 Haydon Place, Guildford, GU1 4LL.

It is a registered local charity and is asking people to support it by donating it. Click here for details.

Twenty three local teams have signed up so far for the sponsored walk representing advisory bodies, legal practices, the law courts and the University of Law.