This year marks the 50th anniversary of Camden Community Law Centre, which first opened its doors in November 1973. To mark this historic milestone, the Law Centre will host an evening of celebration at the London Irish Centre in Camden on 13 July 2023.

Camden Community Law Centre was part of a progressive movement mobilised and inspired by the earlier campaigns and work of the North Kensington Law Centre, which was set up in 1970 to achieve social justice for the most disadvantaged communities.

The Law Centre’s opening was the culmination of a series of efforts and achievements of local activists and residents including Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC (Hon), Marjorie Mayo and John Cowley to develop a local, accessible, community-based legal advice service that addressed the needs of residents. Many faced a range of legal problems arising from poor housing conditions and homelessness, unlawful evictions, lack of employment protection rights including sex discrimination and unequal pay, poor employment conditions and unfair dismissal. In later years, the Law Centre started providing immigration advice in response to changes in legislation that imposed restrictions affecting many of the area’s newly arrived Commonwealth citizens, particularly members of the Bangladeshi community.

Today, Camden Community Law Centre continues to face and tackle many of the same challenges that have been compounded by ongoing austerity and the cost of living crisis. A lack of adequate financial support and systemic cuts to the scope and funding of the legal aid system by successive governments have led to a serious contraction in the provider base and long-term recruitment difficulties.

Looking back on the Law Centre’s achievements, its current chair, Manuela Grayson, said: