Cycling from London to Paris to fundraise for the Bar Pro Bono Unit is the next in my increasingly difficult list of sporting challenges. This is going to be the toughest one yet, as I only usually cycle the eight miles to work every day! The cycle commences on 21st September, the route will take me from home in Crystal Palace, through the South Downs to Newhaven, then from Dieppe  through Normandy to the suburbs of Paris, a mere 186 miles in three days, culminating with a grandstand finish at the Eiffel Tower. 

As a practice manager at Landmark Chambers, I know only too well how important the Bar Pro Bono Unit is. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to raise vital money for them. Any donation you can give, would be gratefully received.

Recently, the Unit matched a volunteer barrister to a Chancery case. The applicant, having worked for the council for many years, was being denied the pension owed to him over a discrepancy regarding his date of birth. He was living in debt and receiving minimal benefits. The volunteer barrister represented the applicant in court and not only successfully managed to restart his client's pension and claim back for the unpaid amount, but also won him interest of £25k, a life-changing amount to this vulnerably elderly applicant.

The work of the Unit makes such a huge difference in providing people like this with access to justice. However, there are so many more people who are in need of help.

The Unit needs funds to modernise their application process. They aim to bring it online and create a guided process to make it easier for both applicants and referrers to navigate. This will make it easier and quicker to provide help to those in need of legal assistance. 

Please visit the website of the Bar Pro Bono Unit - https://www.barprobono.org.uk/ - for more information on the crucial work they do.