FREE REPRESENTATION UNIT — Charity Commission profile

01 Identity

Registration and reporting

Registration status: Registered
Reporting status: Submission Received
Charity type: Charitable company
Registered: 28 May 2019
Removed: Not supplied
Company number supplied: 11732557
Financial period: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025
Latest income: £553,170
Latest expenditure: £541,198
Gift Aid: No
Owns or uses land: Yes
In administration: No
Insolvent: No
CIO: No

Public contact address: FREE REPRESENTATION UNIT, 1st Floor West, 3 Field Court, Gray's Inn, LONDON, WC1R 5EF

Website recorded by the regulator: http://www.thefru.org.uk/ (displayed as text)

02 Activities

What the charity does

The FRU trains volunteers to represent clients in legal hearings. We aim to prevent poverty by enabling clients to obtain their legal rights. Legal aid is not available and our clients cannot afford to pay for representation. We operate in Greater London, the home counties and the east midlands. Our volunteers are aspiring lawyers or qualified lawyers who give their time for free.

03 Official extract

Charity Annual Return History

Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2025
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2025
Ar Cycle Reference: AR25
Reporting Due Date: 31 October 2026
Date Annual Return Received: 13 August 2026
Date Accounts Received: 13 August 2026
Total Gross Income: £553,170
Total Gross Expenditure: £541,198

Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2024
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2024
Ar Cycle Reference: AR24
Reporting Due Date: 31 October 2025
Date Annual Return Received: 28 October 2025
Date Accounts Received: 28 October 2025
Total Gross Income: £460,149
Total Gross Expenditure: £533,356

Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2023
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2023
Ar Cycle Reference: AR23
Reporting Due Date: 31 October 2024
Date Annual Return Received: 8 October 2024
Date Accounts Received: 8 October 2024
Total Gross Income: £496,710
Total Gross Expenditure: £505,139

Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2022
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2022
Ar Cycle Reference: AR22
Reporting Due Date: 31 October 2023
Date Annual Return Received: 18 December 2023
Date Accounts Received: 18 December 2023
Total Gross Income: £206,428
Total Gross Expenditure: £204,855

Fin Period Start Date: 1 October 2021
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2021
Ar Cycle Reference: AR21
Reporting Due Date: 31 October 2022
Date Annual Return Received: 14 February 2023
Total Gross Income: £0
Total Gross Expenditure: £0

04 Official extract

Charity Annual Return Parta

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: Yes
Fin Period Order Number: 1
Ar Cycle Reference: AR25
Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2025
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2025
Ar Due Date: 31 October 2026
Ar Received Date: 13 August 2026
Total Gross Income: £553,170
Total Gross Expenditure: £541,198
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £0
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: Yes
Count Salary Band 60001 70000: 1
Count Volunteers: 350

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 2
Ar Cycle Reference: AR24
Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2024
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2024
Ar Due Date: 31 October 2025
Ar Received Date: 28 October 2025
Total Gross Income: £460,149
Total Gross Expenditure: £533,356
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £0
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: Yes
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: Yes
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: Yes
Count Salary Band 60001 70000: 1
Count Volunteers: 300

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 3
Ar Cycle Reference: AR23
Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2023
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2023
Ar Due Date: 31 October 2024
Ar Received Date: 8 October 2024
Total Gross Income: £496,710
Total Gross Expenditure: £505,139
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £0
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: Yes
Count Salary Band 60001 70000: 1
Count Volunteers: 300

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 4
Ar Cycle Reference: AR22
Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2022
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2022
Ar Due Date: 31 October 2023
Ar Received Date: 18 December 2023
Total Gross Income: £206,428
Total Gross Expenditure: £204,855
Charity Raises Funds From Public: Yes
Charity Professional Fundraiser: No
Charity Commercial Participator: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Contracts: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Grants: No
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 300

05 Official extract

Charity Annual Return Partb

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: Yes
Fin Period Order Number: 1
Ar Cycle Reference: AR25
Fin Period Start Date: 1 January 2025
Fin Period End Date: 31 December 2025
Ar Due Date: 31 October 2026
Ar Received Date: 13 August 2026
Income Donations And Legacies: 507896
Income Other Trading Activities: 0
Income Charitable Activities: 45193
Income Investments: 81
Income Other: 0
Income Total Income And Endowments: 553170
Income Legacies: 0
Income Endowments: 0
Expenditure Raising Funds: £22,610
Expenditure Charitable Expenditure: £518,588
Expenditure Other: 0
Expenditure Total: 541198
Expenditure Investment Management: 0
Expenditure Grants Institution: 0
Expenditure Governance: 27381
Expenditure Support Costs: 27381
Expenditure Depreciation: 4789
Gain Loss Investment: 0
Gain Loss Pension Fund: 0
Gain Loss Revaluation Fixed Investment: 0
Gain Loss Other: 0
Reserves: £58,734
Assets Total Fixed: 17283
Assets Own Use: 17283
Assets Long Term Investment: 0
Defined Benefit Pension Scheme: 0
Assets Other Assets: £165,003
Assets Total Liabilities: £80,634
Assets Current Investment: 0
Assets Total Assets And Liabilities: £101,652
Creditors One Year Total Current: 80634
Creditors Falling Due After One Year: 0
Assets Cash: £95,570
Funds Endowment: 0
Funds Unrestricted: 76018
Funds Restricted: 25634
Funds Total: 101652
Count Employees: 11
Charity Only Accounts: Yes

06 Official extract

Charity Area Of Operation

Geographic Area Type: Region
Geographic Area Description: Throughout England And Wales
Welsh Ind: No

07 Official extract

Charity Classification

Classification Code: 101
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: General Charitable Purposes

Classification Code: 201
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: Children/young People

Classification Code: 306
Classification Type: How
Classification Description: Provides Services

Classification Code: 307
Classification Type: How
Classification Description: Provides Advocacy/advice/information

Classification Code: 104
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Disability

Classification Code: 105
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

Classification Code: 102
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Education/training

Classification Code: 202
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: Elderly/old People

Classification Code: 203
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: People With Disabilities

Classification Code: 207
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: The General Public/mankind

08 Official extract

Charity Event History

Charity Name: FREE REPRESENTATION UNIT
Charity Event Order: 1
Event Type: Standard registration
Date Of Event: 2019-05-28T00:00:00

09 Official extract

Charity Governing Document

Governing Document Description: MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 18 DEC 2018
Charitable Objects: (1)TO RELIEVE POVERTY BY PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION BEFORE TRIBUNALS AND COURTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD SUCH ADVICE OR REPRESENTATION;AND(2)TO ASSIST IN THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OR LAW STUDENTS, PUPILS, TRAINEES, JUNIOR BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS THROUGH THE DELIVERY OF (1) ABOVE.

10 Official extract

Charity Policy

Policy Name: Internal risk management policy and procedures

Policy Name: Paying staff

Policy Name: Conflicting interests

Policy Name: Financial reserves policy and procedures

Policy Name: Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries

Policy Name: Complaints handling

Policy Name: Safeguarding policy and procedures

Policy Name: Bullying and harassment policy and procedures

Policy Name: Risk management

Policy Name: Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures

Policy Name: Complaints policy and procedures

Policy Name: Volunteer management