‘Unsung Hero’ Wins ILEX Pro Bono Award

2 June 2009 pr031.09

One of the ‘unsung heroes’ of Pro Bono work has won the ILEX 2008 Pro Bono Award.

Tony Dolbear, a Legal Executive Fellow with the Bournemouth law firm of Horsey Lightly Fynn, was one of the founder members of the Bournemouth & Poole Pro Bono Service. For the last 20 years, he has given unstinting service as a member of the ILEX Bournemouth Branch Committee, as a mentor to students and as a pro bono advisor to a number of charities.

Someone who shies away from the limelight, Tony has been a key member of the team that recognised the need for local voluntary and community groups to have access to legal advice, which led to the creation of Bournemouth and Poole Pro Bono. Since its creation, he has continued to be staunch supporter and key volunteer.

The nomination for the award said of Tony that a feature of his work is how quietly he goes about it and how reluctant he is to take any credit for the excellent work he does both as an advisor and as a manager of the Bournemouth Pro Bono group.

On a personal level as a volunteer, he has acted in a pro bono capacity for a local charity that provides care, support and development to recovering drug addicts as well as a local Community Centre on debt recovery.

The Award, sponsored by Peverel Management Services, carries with it a donation of £750 to a charity of the winners choosing, as well as a trophy for the winner.

Tony has requested that the donation should go to Julia’s House, the Dorset Children’s Hospice in Poole, Dorset.

Commenting on his win he said, “I was shocked to be informed I had been nominated and amazed to have won this award. I am honoured to accept the award but in doing so would like to thank all my colleague ILEX members, both locally and nationally, who carry out a valuable and worthwhile service to those groups who in turn assist in the community as a whole.”

“My congratulations to Tony,” said ILEX President, Mark Bishop. “He has worked tirelessly over many years to help others and is an example to all of us in the legal profession. Pro Bono work is something ILEX encourages our members to undertake where possible throughout their career. Tony is a very worthy winner of the award and an inspiration to all legal executives who are involved in Pro Bono work.”

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Posted 02.06.09