We didn’t know whether we were going to get some funding that we applied for. The existing funding was due to end in March. We had just enough reserves to pay the staff until April and May, but that was about the maximum we could afford. It did seem very likely that we would have to cut down on the staffing and make some people redundant or reduce their hours. So we arranged a meeting with VAC so that I knew what it was legally that I was required to do.

I knew a bit about the law but VAC helped to refine and enhance my understanding of what the law said. With redundancy, and employment issues like this, people can feel unfairly treated and if you put a foot wrong legally it actually holds up everything you need to do to get your organisation to survive, and you may end up with additional costs should you have to go to an employment tribunal.

VAC focussed on exactly what our problem was and helped me to understand what it was I had to do to make sure I was fair to people and that everything was above board with the law and still acting for the best interests of my organisation.

Home Start UK provides a legal service that is good and has worked in the past but I found it more emotionally accessible to have someone local to whom I could talk face-to-face. The VAC service was fantastic. I couldn’t fault it. The feeling one gets when you talk to people from VAC is they want to help voluntary organisations in Camden. VAC is part of the furniture of our lives that we lean on from time to time and think of leaning on a lot more. That’s what you’re there for isn’t it?