Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On 12 September I am going to be running a marathon in France (www.marathondumedoc.com).

I shall be running with the aim of raising money for the Bar Pro Bono Unit (www.barprobono.org.uk) and the Free Representation Unit (www.freerepresentationunit.org.uk). These organisations both aim to facilitate access to justice.

The Bar Pro Bono Unit helps to find pro bono (free) legal assistance from volunteer barristers for individuals or organisations with deserving cases who cannot afford legal assistance and cannot obtain public funding (legal aid). They assist with advice, representation and help at mediation in cases in any area of law and in any court or tribunal in England and Wales.

FRU's volunteers are law students and legal professionals in the early stages of their career. They provide legal advice, case preparation and advocacy in tribunal cases for those who could not otherwise obtain legal support, for want of personal means or public funding.

Both of these charities are facing a deficit this year while also having had a significant increase in applications for assistance. While I appreciate that this year is a challenging one for many people, supporting charities such as these allows lawyers to help those in need at this difficult time.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charities. To keep things simple, I have asked you to donate to the Bar Pro Bono Unit, who will in turn pass half the proceeds to FRU.

I would be very grateful for any donations. Thank you.

Tom