A person pours milk from a steaming jug into a green mug with "Forsters" printed on it, in a setting with a professional espresso machine.

Communities

Making a positive difference in our communities

We recognise the importance of engaging with our communities and the value this delivers back to the firm. Our people work together to support a range of pro bono, charitable and community activities.

  • 6

    pro bono partner organisations

  • 600+

    meals served annually by our Lunch Club volunteers

  • 141

    people took a full or half day to volunteer

All data FY23/24

Pro bono: sharing our expertise

The aim of our pro bono programme is to share our legal expertise and help individuals, charities and community groups who cannot afford to pay for advice. We work with a number of pro bono partner organisations (connecting firms with charities needing support) and legal advice centres, offering support directly to vulnerable individuals.

We have a pro bono committee and are a signatory to the Joint Pro Bono Protocol for Legal Work which governs how we undertake our pro bono work. Our pro bono policy encourages lawyers at every stage of their career to get involved.

Our pro bono partners
Citizens advice logo
LandAid logo
Logo featuring a stylised crown above swirling designs. Text reads: "Queen Mary University of London." The blue logo is set against a white background.
A silhouette of a person stands with arms raised overhead, simulating a 'Y' shape. The background is plain and featureless, creating a strong contrast with the dark figure.
The logo displays the text "TrustLaw" in large, blue letters, with "A Thomson Reuters Foundation Service" written in smaller grey letters beneath.
A rectangular sign displays the text: "SOUTH WESTMINSTER LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE" in blue capital letters, surrounded by a simple blue border on a cream background.

Connecting for positive impact

For more about our pro bono projects please read our Responsible business review 2023-24.

Read the review

Responsible business impact report 2023 - 24

Getting involved in our community

Our aim is to have a positive impact on the community around us and beyond. Our employees work together to support a range of charitable and community activities through fundraising, volunteering and gift donation drives. This includes supporting a firmwide charity that unites all of us behind one common cause.

In January 2024, on our move from Mayfair to Marylebone, we established a partnership with the Marylebone Project, a charity providing life-changing support to women facing homelessness. It is the largest and longest-running centre of its kind in London and the UK with over 90 years’ experience and is the only women’s-only homelessness centre that is open 24/7, 365 days a year. We’re looking forward to building the relationship and making a difference by sharing our skills, giving our time and fundraising.

Logo displaying the words "Marylebone Project" beside a stylised heart-shaped outline containing a simple house icon, all presented in a blue colour scheme.

We are so pleased that Forsters feel inspired by our mission to support women in overcoming homelessness and living full, independent lives, and we’re excited for the expertise, committed volunteers and community spirit they will bring to the project.

Miriam KennedyCentre Manager at the Marylebone Project
Logo displaying the words "Marylebone Project" beside a stylised heart-shaped outline containing a simple house icon, all presented in a blue colour scheme.

As a firm we are proud of our values which include being driven by what really matters and supporting everyone to achieve. We are committed to supporting the Marylebone Project as they continue to empower women to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

Emily ExtonManaging Partner
Logo displaying the words "Marylebone Project" beside a stylised heart-shaped outline containing a simple house icon, all presented in a blue colour scheme.

We look forward to working with the Marylebone Project to deliver a meaningful partnership, enriching the lives of vulnerable women affected by homelessness. Together, our partners and employees will participate in a range of fundraising and volunteering activities that will benefit the women supported by the Marylebone Project.

Jeremy Roberston and Michael ArmstrongCo-leads of the Forsters’ Community and Charity Committee

Connecting for positive impact

For more information about our initiatives with the Marylebone Project please read our Responsible business review 2023-24.

Read the review

Responsible business impact report 2023 - 24

The Forsters Charitable Trust

The firm’s charitable activities are supplemented by The Forsters Charitable Trust, a grant-making charity established in 1998 and funded by our Partners. The Trust’s trustees welcome applications for support from clients, employees, intermediaries and other business connections of the firm who are engaged in fundraising or volunteering for charity.

An impactful partnership

Forsters is proud to have supported St Andrew’s Youth Club, providing fun and educational activities for young people from the ages of five to adulthood, from 2019 – 2023. Highlights from our partnership included in 2022, 40 employees conquering the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge which raised more than £26,000; in 2023, we completed a virtual St Andrew’s to St Andrew’s Cycle Challenge raising just over £3,000; and our annual December raffles raised more than £16,000 over the period. To view a highlights video about our partnership with St Andrew’s Club click here

An adult and a child, both wearing "FORSTERS" aprons, mix ingredients in a kitchen. Flour and other ingredients are on the counter. Other people are visible in the background.

Volunteering our skills and time

Each year, we encourage all members of the firm to take one day, or two half days, paid time during working hours to volunteer. We organise a range of volunteering opportunities for teams and individuals, from outdoor activities helping nature conservation charities to skills-based workshops supporting social mobility initiatives.

In addition, Thursday Lunch Club is a long-standing initiative whereby our volunteers help to provide a hot meal and warm welcome once a week to people in the community in need of support. Thursday Lunch Club is currently hosted at St Marylebone Parish Church.

A group of people holding paint rollers smile for the camera in a room covered with drop cloths and painting supplies. A "Sports Direct" bag and a ladder are visible in the background.
Painting and decorating at The Marylebone Project.
Three people in life jackets smile while holding collected rubbish by a river. Graffiti-covered buildings and greenery line the waterfront in the background, indicating an urban setting.
Restoring our waterways by clearing rubbish from the River Lea in Hackney.
A group of eleven people stand smiling in front of a large pile of branches and foliage, situated in a green park area with trees and a bridge in the background.
Pruning trees and shrubs, and planting spring bulbs to help restore Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.
Forsters team members prepping hundreds of meals for Londoners in need for the Felix Project.
Prepping hundreds of meals for Londoners in need for the Felix Project.
Women preparing and serving a weekly meal to members of our local community.
Preparing and serving a weekly meal to members of our local community.
Members of the Forsters team creating a green space at The Marylebone Project
Creating a green space at The Marylebone Project.
Member of the Forsters team litter picking and clearing large areas of invasive bamboo with Holland Park’s horticultural team
Litter picking and clearing large areas of invasive bamboo with Holland Park’s horticultural team.