RBS Platinum donation boosts charity birthday celebrations

Academically gifted law students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Scotland will benefit from a recent cash injection to the Lawscot Foundation - a charity set up by the Law Society to remove financial barriers between aspiring law students and their goal of becoming Scottish solicitors.

The £10,000 donated by the Royal Bank of Scotland will support a bursary recipient throughout their law degree and provides extra cause for celebration as the charity approaches its first birthday.

RBS are the Foundation’s first corporate sponsors. And in a wholehearted show of support, they have entered the programme at the top tier as Platinum level sponsors.

Kenny Robertson, Head of Services at RBS Legal Edinburgh, said: “The programme is very much aligned with our own thoughts and our own initiatives around social inclusion - we’re really pleased to be able to support it.”

Following research which revealed that fewer than one in twelve entrants to the LLB came from the most deprived backgrounds, Lawscot Foundation was set up by the Law Society to redress the balance of fair access to the profession.

The Foundation has had an eventful first year, with highlights including: Baublefest, which rewarded donors with a personalised bauble on the Society Christmas tree; a quarter of a million pound donation from the sale of the Society’s shares in Legal Post; and more recently, receipt of the first applications for funding.

Heather McKendrick, Head of Careers and Outreach at the Society, said: “It has been a fantastic first year and the Royal Bank of Scotland’s support is the icing on the birthday cake! In becoming Platinum, not to mention our first sponsors, RBS are making a tangible difference to the students who are so deserving of their support. At the same time they are driving awareness of the Foundation and leading the way in terms of corporate responsibility.”

Organisations, businesses and individuals can support the Foundation in a variety of ways, including donations, charity of the year partnerships and gifts in kind. Patrons can choose the means and level of support which best suits their circumstances.

Further information is available on the Lawscot Foundation website.

The Lawscot Foundation offers prospective law students in Scotland who meet the criteria funding of around £2,500 for each of the five years of study at undergraduate and postgraduate Diploma level. In addition to financial support, bursary recipients will also be mentored by trainee and experienced solicitors throughout their studies.