YMCA Trinity Group’s property support request was successfully matched with Alex Paterson and colleagues at Squire Patton Boggs, following support from LandAid’s ever-brilliant East of England Regional Board.
The charity was exploring plans to license or let available space at its Cambridge site to an educational provider whose work aligned with its mission. The arrangement offered an opportunity to generate valuable income, helping YMCA Trinity Group continue delivering housing, mental health, childcare and community services across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
However, trustees needed specialist advice to understand how the arrangement could affect the charity’s Business Rates relief. Alex and the wider Squire Patton Boggs team provided guidance on the legal and financial implications and helped determine whether a Licence to Occupy or Tenancy at Will offered the right protection and flexibility.
The work has now been completed, giving YMCA Trinity Group greater clarity and confidence to protect its charitable reliefs, develop mission-aligned partnerships and ensure more funding reaches vulnerable young people and families.
A huge thank you to Alex Paterson, the wider Squire Patton Boggs team, and our East of England Regional Board for making this support possible.
Jonathan Martin. Chief Executive YMCA Trinity Group said:
“We’re extremely grateful for the pro bono support we received in relation to our business rates position. The consultancy time provided, equivalent to approximately £13500 would have been a significant cost to us, so having access to this expertise at no charge made a real difference. As a direct result of the advice, we achieved meaningful savings on our rates bill for the current year and have put in place a more efficient approach that will continue to deliver savings in future years. These funds have been redirected back into our core mission, helping us to provide vital mental health support for our tenants.
Just as importantly, the guidance has given us the confidence that we now have a robust and compliant framework for subletting our space. This allows us to maximise the use of our buildings in a way that benefits both the organisation and our tenants.
The support also enabled our team to hand over a complex and time-consuming issue to specialists. This meant we could focus our time and energy on delivering our services, rather than navigating technical areas outside our expertise. Overall, the impact has been both immediate and long-lasting, and we are incredibly appreciative of the support provided.”