Battersea Arts Centre: Certainty and Continuity for a Charity

Client Profile

Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) is one of the UK’s leading independent theatre and community arts venues. Its historic building was rebuilt by its own community after a major fire in 2015. Today it hosts a theatre and artist development programme alongside a busy events business, all in service of BAC’s charitable purpose. Running a live public venue and a growing events operation on charity resources means BAC’s legal needs are as varied as its calendar.

The Challenge: Broad legal needs, charity budgets

BAC came to Obelisk in October 2025 looking for ongoing commercial and generalist legal support, without the cost of a full-time in-house lawyer. Like many charities, BAC’s legal needs are broad from contracts tied to venue hire, partnerships and events, plus the everyday queries that come with running a small organisation on a lean team. Funding adds another layer. BAC wanted a lawyer who knew the charity sector inside out, and who would work within charity budgets and reporting requirements.

The Obelisk Approach

Obelisk supported BAC via our Managed Plan service, providing a defined number of hours each month, at a fixed cost; the legal experts were drawn from a pool of pre-vetted lawyers with charity sector experience. BAC met the shortlist before confirming its consultant, giving the organisation a direct say in who would handle its legal work each month.

Both lawyers matched to the account have brought hands-on charity sector experience with them. That means BAC has never had to explain what a grant condition means, or why a sponsorship agreement needs a particular kind of care. The relationship started from a clear understanding of how a charity works

What Happened

Since the plan began, two Obelisk lawyers have supported BAC, delivering 46 hours of legal work between them. The first consultant built a strong working relationship with the BAC team, then stepped back for personal reasons in the spring, giving good notice for a smooth handover. Obelisk matched a second charity-experienced lawyer, Stefanie Powell, to keep the relationship and the service running without a beat missed.

Timesheets go to BAC every month in a format it can use to recharge relevant fees to its grant funders.

Why the Managed Plan Works for Battersea Arts Centre

The BAC engagement shows what smaller, resource-stretched organisations need most from legal support: certainty, continuity and affordability, working together.

Certainty means BAC knows legal support is there every month, at a fixed, predictable cost, with no new procurement exercise each time a contract or legal query lands.

Continuity means that even when a consultant needs to step away, the relationship and the organisation’s own knowledge are protected through a considered handover to an equally well-matched lawyer, rather than starting again from scratch.

Affordability means charity budgets are respected throughout. Managed Plans start from a small monthly commitment, so quality legal support stays within reach of an organisation that could not justify, or stretch to, a full-time hire.