News

The Legal Pause: Episode 3 – Understanding impact and building a sustainable future

In Episode 3 of The Legal Pause, Nick Gallagher is joined by Anita McCallum, Director of Impact and Development at The Solicitors’ Charity, to explore how the charity supports solicitors through life’s challenges, how it measures impact, and why sustainability is becoming increasingly important. 

Anita brings decades of experience across the private, public and charity sectors, including senior roles in the NHS, work with Macmillan Cancer Support, and leadership in the homelessness sector. That background now informs how The Solicitors’ Charity understands people, responds to complexity, and delivers meaningful support. 

Solicitors face life’s pressures too

A central theme of the conversation is that solicitors are not immune to unexpected challenges. People contact the charity following illness, financial difficulty, family breakdown, homelessness or addiction, as well as shorter-term issues that can escalate without early help. The charity exists to provide a confidential safety net for solicitors, retired solicitors and their dependants in England and Wales, helping individuals regain stability and move forward.  

Beyond financial help

An ongoing challenge is awareness. Many people either do not know The Solicitors’ Charity exists, or assume it only offers financial assistance. In reality, support extends far beyond that. Alongside financial help, the charity works with expert partners to provide emotional wellbeing support, therapy referrals and careers coaching. Improving understanding of this wider offer is key, particularly when early intervention can prevent crisis. 

“People are used to finding us, but not to funding us”

Anita highlights a major shift facing the charity. Historically, The Solicitors’ Charity has been funded through investment income and unclaimed client balances. But demand for support is rising, cases are becoming more complex, and reserves are now being used to meet need. With future reliance on unclaimed client balances uncertain, the charity is asking the profession to play a more active role in helping sustain this vital support. 

Measuring impact, sensitively

Nick and Anita discuss how the charity understands whether its support is working. Impact is measured through feedback, partner insight, case manager experience and an annual survey, brought together in The Big Report.  

To avoid being intrusive, the charity uses a light-touch approach, asking a simple wellbeing question at the start and end of a case. Changes over time help indicate whether the support provided has made a difference.  

Rising demand for emotional wellbeing support

One area of clear change is mental health. Enquiries relating to emotional wellbeing have increased significantly, with more people accessing therapeutic support. Feedback and partner data show improved outcomes, including reduced anxiety and better ability to cope personally and professionally. 

Firm Friends and the future of the charity

To help secure the charity’s future, Anita introduces Firm Friends, a corporate giving scheme for law firms and suppliers. The scheme encourages regular, sustainable support and allows organisations to visibly champion wellbeing across the profession while helping fund measurable, practical support. 

A shared responsibility

Nick closes the episode by reminding listeners of the charity’s “four Rs”: reach out for help, remember the importance of unclaimed client balances, register for updates, and engage with the charity on LinkedIn to help raise awareness.  

Episode 3 of The Legal Pause underlines a simple truth: ensuring solicitors never face hardship alone depends on both effective support and collective responsibility. 

Listen now: The Legal Pause – Episode 3

Available on all major streaming platforms.