The Bank of England Legal Directorate is a great supporter of free legal advice charities. We are enthusiastic supporters of the London Legal Support Trust, through our participation over many years in the London Legal Walk and Legal Bake Sales. And through the Bank Legal Directorate’s Pro Bono Scheme, colleagues volunteer at the South Westminster Legal Advice Centre and through the Free Legal Answers service.

On Monday 10 March, I will be travelling to Leeds to work from the Bank of England’s Leeds office. I am looking forward to meeting Leeds-based colleagues from the Legal Directorate and across the Bank, and other contacts in the city. As I will be working from the Leeds office, I wanted to find a way to support free legal advice charities in Yorkshire and the Humber.

I will be doing this by asking for sponsorship to make my journey to Leeds in an unusual way. I will be aiming to travel from the Bank of England in Threadneedle Street to Leeds in under 24 hours by local bus. Under the rules of the challenge, I can only travel by TfL buses and buses subject to the £3 bus cap (so no National Express coaches). If I leave in the early hours of the morning, I should arrive late the same evening. I estimate it will involve 15 buses over 19 hours. But there is no guarantee it is possible in one day – a major cancellation or delay could scupper my plans!

The challenge will be to support the Access to Justice Foundation, which performing important work supporting free legal advice services across the UK. In the Yorkshire and Humber region, it is currently supporting 9 organisations with 12 grants totalling more than £3m.

If you could consider sponsoring me, I would be very grateful.

Rest assured, I will be catching the train back home!