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About Us
What we offer
- Independent and impartial legal advice
- Confidential, non-judgemental and free advice
- Drop-in and appointment based advice sessions from our main office in St Pauls
- Outreach sessions at various venues
- A daily reception service providing information and a triage facility
- Bilingual advice is available
Our Priorites
St Pauls Advice Centre has been a community resource at the heart of St Pauls for four decades. Our priorities are outlined in our strategic plan as:
- Deliver a professional legal advice service
- Provide an accessible and approachable service
- Make a positive difference
- Maintain, expand and develop services
- Lobby for social change
Our Vision is a thriving community where people feel secure knowing they have a good standard of life built on equality and justice.
Our Mission is that we fight poverty and inequality in our community by providing professional advice and equipping people with knowledge and skills so they can access their rights and fulfil their responsibilities.
STATEMENT
St Pauls Advice Centre is deeply saddened and appalled by the recent surge of racist violence sweeping across our country and particularly in Bristol. Our thoughts and solidarity are with all communities affected by these heinous acts. We unequivocally condemn such violence and stand united with the people who are targeted, as well as with our partners in the legal advice sector and charities supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
Bristol, as a recognised City of Sanctuary, has a proud tradition of welcoming and supporting those fleeing persecution, violence, and hardship. This status is a testament to our City’s commitment to inclusivity, safety, and hope for all who seek refuge here. St Pauls Advice Centre is proud of its history of anti-racism and the part that previous generations have played to support Bristol being an inclusive and welcoming City.
Time and again Bristol has stood up in defence against racist incursions and we are proud to see that those defending our communities vastly outnumber those who are intent on inflicting violent hatred.
It is appalling that some perpetrators of this racist violence claim to be acting in honour of the tragic deaths of the young girls in Southport. This is a completely unrelated event. Using this tragedy as a pretext for racist violence is not only an insult to the memory of the victims, and to their families and their community, but also fundamentally unjust and misguided.
St Pauls Advice Centre remains committed to supporting our communities through these trying times. We will continue to deliver our services and ensure that people are able to access free independent legal advice, however, this may mean that from time to time we have to close our office so that staff, and clients, can operate without risk to their safety. In such cases we will offer alternative arrangements.
Our values
Justice We champion the legal rights of individuals. We pursue fair and just outcomes for people. We challenge discrimination and disadvantage, and tackle systemic inequality.
Approachable We listen to and deal with people warmly and politely. Our services are accessible and available. We are open with clients, colleagues and partners.
Community We improve the lives of local people and the wider community. We listen to and understand community needs. We are committed to supporting local people and community initiatives.
Integrity We are honest and ethical. We are consistent with actions, principles, expectations and outcomes. Our independent and expert service is trusted by our clients, colleagues and partners.
Expertise We are professional, organised and competent. We ensure the advice we give is accurate and up to date. We pride ourselves in supporting our experienced and skilful team.
Respect We respect people’s differences and value diversity. Where possible we adapt our services to take account of different needs. We treat people fairly and consistently.
Impact
History
St Pauls Advice Centre has worked in some of the most densely populated, diverse and vibrant inner city areas of Bristol for over 40 years. Here’s a potted history of our development:
1972 St Pauls Advice Centre (SPAC) opens its doors for the first time
1980 Following the St Pauls uprising, SPAC was centrally involved in developing a defence campaign which served to strengthen community links
1984 Outreach services target Black and minority ethnic people, disabled and older people helping overcome barriers to accessing rights
1998 Specialist benefits advice expanded as a result of securing one of Bristol’s first legal aid franchises
2004 Development of a unique bilingual generalist advice service
2006 Specialist debt advice team, funded by Financial Inclusion Fund
2008 Health outreach service, delivering benefits advice at local health centres
2010 Expansion of services into east Bristol as a result of the demise of East Bristol Advice Service
Today 15 people work in our team, dealing with over 3000 enquiries per year
Join us
Here is a list of current vacancies – paid and voluntary….
Our Privacy Notice for job applicants:
Privacy Notice for Job Applicants
Debt Outreach Worker (0.8 FTE)
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with excellent customer service and communication skills to join St Pauls Advice Centre as a Debt Outreach Worker. Speaking a community language is an desirable criteria for this post.
Become an Advocato Volunteer
We have a wide range of volunteer opportunities depending on your skills and interests:
Admin Support Volunteers assist our front-of-house reception team by offering support with a range of administrative tasks such as taking calls, greeting clients, updating information in system databases, or copying and scanning documents. This is an important role at the forefront of our service which, depending on your skills and interests, can include client-facing work.
Welfare Benefits Volunteers are responsible for supporting clients to complete online or paper benefits claims forms, following up on their claims, and updating information on our client management database. They show empathy and build trust with clients who may find it difficult to disclose their needs or who feel overwhelmed or daunted by the application process. This is an important service for those who are financially deprived and struggling to cope.
If so, then we want to hear from you!
St Pauls Advice Centre Trustee
Our Trustee Volunteers offer their professional skills or life experiences to support the strategic development of the organisation. They help us to provide an important service to people who are often financially deprived and struggling to cope. We need people from all walks of life – an especially from our diverse local communities – to help shape and guide the centre as it advises and supports our local communities.
This is a voluntary position.
Partners
Our commitment to work in collaboration with other agencies is key to our long term success and that of our clients.
We continue to work in partnership with other organisations, building new relationships and collaborating on joint funding opportunities, policy initiatives and service development:
Funders
Huge thanks to all our funders, without whom we wouldn’t be able to offer our much needed services:
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