CENTRAL ENGLAND LAW CENTRE LIMITED
Registered charity 1087312 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as COVENTRY LAW CENTRE LTD
We offer specialist advice, representation and advocacy, and our aim is to use the law to seek change, so that those facing poverty or disadvantage, discrimination or exclusion are better able to take a full and active part in society.
Objects
THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND OTHER FORMS OF DISTRESS THROUGH THE PROVISION OF LEGAL AND OTHER ADVISORY REPRESENTATION AND INFORMATION SERVICES IN CENTRAL ENGLAND TO PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT OTHERWISE OBTAIN THEM THROUGH LACK OF MEANS. THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY THE IMPROVEMENT AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW AND THE PRACTICE OF THE LAW AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, HAVING REGARD ESPECIALLY TO THOSE AREAS OF THE LAW WHICH ARE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO POOR PEOPLE OR ARE DIRECTED TO THE RELIEF OF POVERTY. TO PROMOTE SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF CENTRAL ENGLAND.
Area of benefit: CITY OF COVENTRY
The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.
Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that unrestricted reserves of £585,722 exceed the trustees' approved target of £455,000, providing a buffer above policy requirements. The charity reports a net income increase of £291,622 for the year, driven by a legacy and provision reversal, though it forecasts a deficit in the upcoming budget year. The trustees confirm the organization is a going concern with adequate resources to continue operations for at least twelve months.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £455,000 (held: £586k)
“The current general fund reserves target as approved by the Board of Trustees is £455K. This is based on an assessment of the risks to CELC and the finances required to ensure the charity can carry on its activities, after allocation to designated funds, in the event of unplanned changes to its financial circumstances.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Councillor Abdul Jobbar is a member of Coventry City Council. As Cllr Jobbar does not have significant control over decisions regarding funding for the Law Centre made by Coventry City Council, the Trustees have not included any details of funding under related parties.
“Councillor Abdul Jobbar is a member of Coventry City Council. As Cllr Jobbar does not have significant control over decisions regarding funding for the Law Centre made by Coventry City Council, the Trustees have not included any details of funding under related parties.” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Policies the charity declares
In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)
Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 250
- Government income: £1,822,663 — contracts £802,541 (3), grants £1,020,122 (7); 43% of the £4,231,273 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 150
- Government income: £1,191,023 — contracts £558,226 (1), grants £632,797 (8); 33% of the £3,624,055 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 150
- Government income: £964,842 — contracts £450,382 (2), grants £514,460 (3); 35% of the £2,730,294 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£60,001–£70,000: 1)
Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Central England Law Centre Ltd (matched by registered charity number).
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
- Coventry Building Society — “Funded by Coventry Building Society, the Law Centre employs two support workers to help vulnerable clients to not only solve their immediate…” (source page)
- Access To Justice Foundation — “Funded by Access To Justice Foundation the Law Centre's family team runs a duty scheme at Coventry Magistrates Court, to improve the speed a…” (source page)
- Smallwood Trust — “With funding from the Smallwood Trust we are working in partnership with women’s organisations in Coventry to improve economic outcomes for …” (source page)
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- WHITNEY, Henry John — director, appointed 25/06/2024on trustee list
- MOSS, Deborah Louise — director, appointed 25/06/2024on trustee list
- QADIR, Mohammed Abdul — director, appointed 25/06/2024on trustee list
- RAISTRICK, Sarah Patricia, Dr — director, appointed 29/11/2022on trustee list
- BANNISTER, Thomas Gerard — director, appointed 25/01/2022on trustee list
- KING, Christopher Francis — director, appointed 28/01/2020on trustee list
- MOFFAT, Graham John — director, appointed 23/06/2014not on trustee list
- HILL, Elayne — secretary, appointed 01/04/2022
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Property (HM Land Registry)
1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Reported reserves equal ~1.9 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).
- Dr Sarah Raistrickchair
- Christopher King
- Councillor Linda Bigham
- Deborah Moss
- Graham Moffat LLB MA
- Henry Whitney
- Mohammed Abdul Qadir
- Thomas Bannister
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Birmingham City · Coventry City
Income and spending
Common questions
Is CENTRAL ENGLAND LAW CENTRE LIMITED financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves of £585,722 exceed the trustees' approved target of £455,000, providing a buffer above policy requirements. The charity reports a net income increase of £291,622 for the year, driven by a legacy and provision reversal, though it forecasts a deficit in the upcoming budget year. The trustees confirm the organization is a going concern with adequate resources to continue operations for at least twelve months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.
Who funds CENTRAL ENGLAND LAW CENTRE LIMITED?
Funders whose own accounts filings name CENTRAL ENGLAND LAW CENTRE LIMITED as a grant recipient include THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION, PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION, TRUST FOR LONDON, THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION, COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with LAW CENTRES FEDERATION.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.