GREATER MANCHESTER LAW CENTRE

Registered charity 1170317 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Greater Manchester Law Centre is set up to provide access to justice for people in need through the provision of legal advice and representation.

Causes: Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Economic/community Development/employment · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£603k

Latest spending

£549k

Registered

2016

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £53,547 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with unrestricted free reserves standing at £252,525. Per the trustees' report, this level of reserves is considered sufficient to cover approximately three months of unrestricted charitable expenditure and accrued redundancy liabilities. The trustees confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of unrestricted charitable expenditure (held: £253k)

“The trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which equates to approximately 3 months of unrestricted charitable expenditure” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Ben Clay, a trustee, is a worker at Greater Manchester Tenants Union (GMTU). GMTU is a partner in the Oak Foundation funded Housing Justice Network project, receiving funding administered by GMLC. Ben Clay receives no direct financial benefit.

“Ben Clay, is a worker at Greater Manchester Tenants Union and also a trustee of Greater Manchester Law Centre. The organisations share premises and some support costs. GMTU is also a partner in the Oaks Foundation funded project – Housing Justice Network.” — page 26

“Denise McDowell is Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) and a Trustee of Greater Manchester Law Centre. GMIAU is also a partner in the Oak Foundation-funded project Housing Justice Network.” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Denise McDowell, a trustee, is CEO of GMIAU. GMIAU is a partner in the Oak Foundation funded Housing Justice Network project, receiving funding administered by GMLC. Denise McDowell receives no direct financial benefit.

“Ben Clay, is a worker at Greater Manchester Tenants Union and also a trustee of Greater Manchester Law Centre. The organisations share premises and some support costs. GMTU is also a partner in the Oaks Foundation funded project – Housing Justice Network.” — page 26

“Denise McDowell is Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) and a Trustee of Greater Manchester Law Centre. GMIAU is also a partner in the Oak Foundation-funded project Housing Justice Network.” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

AB Charitable Trust — “We thank the following organisations for their financial support today and in the past: AB Charitable Trust” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£603k

Total spending

£549k

Reserves (reported)

£257k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~5.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (97% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Aisha Khan
Alison Treacher
Andrew Kevin Walsh
Arwa Graf
Benjamin Clay
Ciara Bartlam
Craig Holmes
DENISE MARIE MCDOWELL · trustee of 1 other charity
GILES ELLIOTT
KEVIN ALLSOP
SUKHDEEP SINGH

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Bolton · Bury · Manchester City · Oldham · Rochdale · Salford City · Stockport · Tameside · Trafford · Wigan

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£603k	£549k
31/03/2024	£464k	£458k
31/03/2023	£404k	£419k
31/03/2022	£394k	£398k
31/03/2021	£443k	£327k

Common questions

Is GREATER MANCHESTER LAW CENTRE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £53,547 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with unrestricted free reserves standing at £252,525. Per the trustees' report, this level of reserves is considered sufficient to cover approximately three months of unrestricted charitable expenditure and accrued redundancy liabilities. The trustees confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds GREATER MANCHESTER LAW CENTRE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name GREATER MANCHESTER LAW CENTRE as a grant recipient include THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION, THE THREE GUINEAS TRUST, THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED, THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION, THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION	FY2023	£150k	Providing core funding to underpin Greater Manchester Law Centre's role as a specialist regional hub for social welfare advice and a resource for communities se
THE THREE GUINEAS TRUST	FY2024	£143k	Towards developing embedded specialist welfare rights advice for Disabled people across Greater Manchester, working with 15 Disabled people’s organisations to b
THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED	FY2022	£137k	Criminal Justice Programme
THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£123k	Grants
THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION	FY2022	£80k	Justice First Fellowship Host
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£55k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£50k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£45k	Human Rights (particularly access to justice)
NORTHERN CONSORTIUM	FY2024	£15k	Legal Advocacy and Research Support Project (LARSP) pilot
THE LEGAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION	FY2025	£14k	Extension funding
THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED	FY2024	£4k	Criminal Justice Programme
THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED	FY2023	£3k	Criminal Justice Programme
NORTHERN CONSORTIUM	FY2023	—	Legal Advocacy and Research Support Project (LARSP)

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
A B Charitable Trust	06/08/2026	£30k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	10/07/2025	£30k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	27/08/2024	£2k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	09/07/2024	£55k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	13/12/2023	£55k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	05/07/2022	£50k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	14/06/2021	£45k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	07/07/2020	£45k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
A B Charitable Trust	02/07/2019	£45k	A grant to Greater Manchester Law Centre
The National Lottery Community Fund	21/06/2018	£10k	Building Community Strength
A B Charitable Trust	22/09/2016	£75k	Establish and develop Greater Manchester Law Centre

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE ALLEN OVERY SHEARMAN STERLING FOUNDATION	3	£115k
TRUST FOR LONDON	2	£372k
LONDON LEGAL SUPPORT TRUST	2	£247k
THE SLAUGHTER AND MAY CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£176k
CRIPPLEGATE FOUNDATION	1	£496k
PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION	1	£240k
CHARITY OF RICHARD CLOUDESLEY	1	£212k
AQUILA FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£70k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE(UNIVERSITY HOUSE).

THE LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE(UNIVERSITY HOUSE) income £1.1m
ISLINGTON LAW CENTRE income £2.0m
GREATER MANCHESTER WOMEN'S SUPPORT ALLIANCE income £1.4m
CITIZENS ADVICE MANCHESTER income £8.3m
SOUTH WEST LONDON LAW CENTRES income £1.8m
BRISTOL LAW CENTRE income £1.5m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
GREATER MANCHESTER LAW CENTRE	£603k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE(UNIVERSITY HOUSE) FY2025	£1.1m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
ISLINGTON LAW CENTRE FY2025	£2.0m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
GREATER MANCHESTER WOMEN'S SUPPORT ALLIANCE FY2025	£1.4m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE MANCHESTER FY2025	£8.3m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
SOUTH WEST LONDON LAW CENTRES FY2025	£1.8m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.