North East Legal Support Trust

(registered charity number 1135149)

The North East Legal Support Trust (NELST) is a registered charity established to give financial and other support to charities and advice agencies providing free legal advice in the large geographical area covered by NELST.

The aim of the Trust is to enhance the availability of access to these services by raising funds, principally through a series of annual sponsored walks held in the major cities covered by the Trust. To see the stated objects of NELST see below.

Already the Trust has received high levels of support in the area and this was shown by the participation in the legal walks held in Leeds and Newcastle in 2009 and then again in 2010 in Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds and York. In 2011 we held walks in Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Funds raised so far since 2009 are approximately £23,000. If you would like to contribute to our funds please send a cheque made payable to "NELST" and send to NELST c/o Sarah Brumpton, Irwin Mitchell, 2 Wellington Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 4BZ.

In June 2010 and March 2011 we awarded grants to various organisations across the region. For details of the grants: June 2010 and March 2011.

We are now in a position to make our third grant distribution with the closing date for applications being 9am 9 March 2012. Please see the grants invitation and then download the application form.

The founding Trustees for NELST are Sarah Brumpton (Irwin Mitchell, Leeds), Claire Daniel (BPP, Leeds), Roger Halson (Leeds University), Paul McKeown (Northumbria University) and Lindsay Ward (College of Law, York) with new Trustees joining us from Hull (Frank Dignan Hull University) and Sheffield (Anna Deans Sheffield Hallam University). The Trustees are supported by members of the Judiciary, the bar, and solicitors.

If you would like to help us with fundraising activities, e.g. organising quiz evenings, balls and other social events please e-mail us: enquiries@nelst.org.uk.

The Objects for which the Charity is established are:

The relief of poverty and distress among residents of the North East of England (incorporating Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Teeside) and Yorkshire and Humberside (incorporating North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside) in any way that the Trustees think fit, including but not limited to, through the provision of financial and other support to charitable and other agencies that provide advice, casework or representation in respect of legal issues; and the promotion of such other purposes being exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales as the Trustees may from time to time determine.