The London Masons and the Masonic Charitable Foundation has donated £2,500 to support Youth Legal & Resource Centre, a local charity based in Wandsworth dedicated to improving the quality of life of vulnerable young people and destitute children and their families by making available free specialist independent legal advice in Community Care and Housing / Homelessness with a focus on those with disabilities, mental health issues, care leavers and carers.

Providing free specialist legal advice, representation and advocacy with holistic support, to obtain Social Welfare entitlement under Community Care and Housing Law. Their homelessness advice project “Opening Gates” is were they give fundamental homelessness advice to people over the phone or face to face. Advising people of their homelessness rights, such as the legal definition of being eligible for housing assistance and homeless in priority need.

The Resource Centre has volunteers giving young people information about organisations in the area and helps them contact and make appointments with them. Their website holds the information on local young people’s services and fact sheets drafted by volunteers. They are then helped with referring to services by a volunteer advisor, all from their volunteer programme. They can also receive advice from a solicitor/caseworker.

Valerie Clark, Solicitor for Youth Legal said, “We are really pleased that London Freemasons and the MCF gave us a grant to support our work giving free specialist legal advice to young people and destitute children and families. Thanks from us and our future clients”