Birmingham and Manchester-based law firm reveals the positive impacts of social-purpose legal work in new report

Anthony Collins Solicitors (ACS), a Birmingham and Manchester-based social purpose law firm, has today (16 February 2022) released its fourth Social Impact Report, revealing the scale and impact of its social-purpose-driven legal work.

The Social Impact Report draws attention to ACS’s work with housing, charities, education, local government, social business and health and social care sectors, as well as individuals. The report assesses the impact that the law firm has had over the past year in supporting its main purpose of improving lives, communities and society.

Breaking down the numbers

The Social Impact Report, which features statistics and case studies to showcase and reflect on the firm’s social impact, includes setting up and registering 139 new charities, managing over £79m worth of assets for vulnerable individuals through Deputyship work, as well as supporting funding projects worth £850m to build approximately 4,750 new affordable homes.

The report reveals that, in 2021, 92% of the firm’s work had a direct positive social impact on its clients and wider society. 29% of the cases taken on by ACS have directly assisted private individuals, whilst 46% were for charitable organisations delivering a public benefit. 13% of the firm’s work was for local government with statutory and community service obligations, while the final 4% focused on not-for-profits, co-operatives and community benefit societies.

Case studies

ACS played a fundamental role in creating a legal framework to support Frontier Development Capital’s ambitious ‘Help To Own’ scheme, which was piloted in Wolverhampton with the support of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The scheme establishes a more affordable path to homeownership by allowing tenants to rent a property over a 25 year period, at the end of which they are able to purchase their home for £1. ACS’s legal expertise was key in developing this hybrid model between renting and buying homes and the associated obligations on the parties. Over 4,000 people registered their interest in the ‘Help to Own’ scheme, with 563 applications submitted for the 100 tenancies available.

Following the announcement in July 2021 that everyone working in care homes would need to be vaccinated by November, ACS supported providers to understand and implement the new regulations, including working with umbrella bodies National Care Forum and Care England, and a toolkit for employers, with template letters and guidance on creating a vaccination policy.

Finally, 2021 also saw the launch of ACS’s Ethical Business Project, designed to assist businesses in building their strategy and operations around their own purpose. In collaboration with research partner Opinium, the firm surveyed 300 senior decision-makers across the UK about their ethical approach for their businesses.

The findings formed the basis of The Ethical Business Project handbook, which provides businesses with tips and insights on how to become more principled organisations, benefiting employees, suppliers, stakeholders and customers.

 Peter Hubbard, senior partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, commented:

 “As a social-purpose law firm, our core mission is to make the biggest possible impact in people’s lives, the communities we serve and wider society.

 “The impact of our work over the previous year has been far-reaching. We’ve had the opportunity to make homeownership more accessible with the ‘Help to Own’ scheme, supported care providers to navigate new regulations, and help companies embrace their purpose with the Ethical Business Project.

 “This work complements our core values and our aim to help to create a fairer society with equal opportunities for all.” 

Anthony Collins Solicitors has also produced five videos for its microsite to complement the report, on topics including social mobility, mandatory vaccinations and a partnership with the Cauda Equina Champions Charity.

Hubbard added:

“Our progress and success over the last year could not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of each member of our team. Cultivating our team’s passion for positive social change has been crucial to our success and the resulting impacts on people’s lives.

 “By publishing our latest report, we continue to highlight the power of working together with a clear purpose to improve communities and society.”

Anthony Collins Solicitors’ Social Impact Report is available to read here.

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