Helping tens of thousands of people access justice since its foundation in Coventry in 1976

A Coventry and Birmingham-based charity is celebrating 50 years of providing free legal advice to some of the most vulnerable people across the West Midlands.

Central England Law Centre (CELC) was established in 1976 as the Coventry Legal and Income Rights Trust, founded by solicitor Robert Zara and welfare rights specialist Nick Bond alongside four city councillors and community partners. 

It grew out of the Hillfields Community Development Project, which identified housing and social security benefits as the most pressing issues affecting local residents.

Supporting 10,000 people a year

Today CELC is one of the largest and oldest law centres in the UK, working with more than 180 partner organisations and supporting around 10,000 people each year with legal information and advice.

Chief Executive Elyane Hill said: “Reaching 50 years is an extraordinary milestone. 

“It reflects the dedication of generations of staff, volunteers and partners who have believed that justice should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford it.”

In the past year alone, CELC secured £6 million in income and compensation for families, helped 400 workers challenge unfair treatment and supported 250 domestic abuse survivors through advice and legal representation.

Judge Fiona Monk, who worked at CELC between 1989 and 2007, said the centre had been “a training ground for talented and committed practitioners, many of whom have gone on to serve within the judiciary.”

Demand for legal advice was rising and the organisation’s focus remained firmly on the future, CELC said.