Legal and spiritual advocacy charity in Cumbria to launch in May

Angel Advocates was founded by Paula Ward who is helped by volunteers and a board of Trustees; Andrew Hurrell (chair,) Elizabeth Bastow (treasurer), Philip Guest and Elizabeth Park. Angel Advocates was helped in the early stages by barrister, Jeremy Frost.

Paula first had the idea for Angels Advocates in 2019 but it remained as merely an idea for the time being due to time constraints. After meeting with various people, it wasn't until November 2022 that she was able to put together the board and Angels was born!

Paula explained the process of getting the charity registered, she said: "We had set back after set back, largely because we were trying to do something different. We didn't fit the mould for usual advocacy charities, usual legal charities or usual Christian charities and that coupled with backlogs at the Commission meant a wait far longer than the predicted 12 weeks. In the end we enlisted the help of Stewardship.org to help get us over the line."

"Our aim with Angels is to provide independent, legal and spiritual advocacy to as many people as we can who need advocacy support. Our hopes are to be able to provide, not just advocacy, but to equip our clients to advocate for themselves, to build confidence and resilience; to find their voices."

Angels Advocates logo (Image: Supplied)

Paula discovered the impact an advocate could have on people's lives after being an independent advocate in Scotland and didn't believe such a crucial service should be confined to specific groups or limited by legislation. Paula said: "In addition to this, I was also contemplating my future, torn between the law and the Church. I was accepted onto the Bar Course at the University of Northumbria, but couldn't justify private practice to myself.

"I knew first-hand how many people weren't able to access legal advocacy because of the cost and cuts to legal aid, by forming a charity I would be able to help so many more people."

The challenge of referring her clients to a solicitor after working with them due to issues becoming legal made Paula realise there was a dire need for a legal department within the charity.

Paula said: "Our ambitions are for our clients, not ourselves and to that end, our ultimate hope for the future of Angel Advocates is to close because we are no longer needed"

Angel Advocates launch event is on May 24 at St Andrews Church in Penrith. 

They are inviting local businesses to support their work and in return they will receive a host of benefits.

Angels already enjoys support from Victoria Barbe from Apothecary of Arts, who has volunteered to organise their launch event, and Gary Bunt, an artist who has permitted them to use his painting 'The Gardener who went to Heaven'.

The charity are looking for volunteers, to get involved visited their website to contact them.