Who and how we help
The North West Legal Support Trust is a local arm of the Access to Justice Foundation, the only national charity with a focus on funding and supporting access to justice across the UK. The way in which the Foundation helps accomplish this goal is by raising funds through events and distributing grants to charities that provide free legal advice and or representation for the community.
We raise funds and distribute them strategically to those advice agencies that can make the most difference to the lives of vulnerable people.
We fund Law Centres, local citizens’ advice, independent advice agencies, pro bono projects and national charities, which help to facilitate access to justice
Our current objectives are to:
- Increase funding for the advice and pro bono sectors
- To build on the effectiveness of grant making on both a local and national scale
- To support the sector by providing leadership and encouraging collaboration
The Community Justice Fund
In 2021, the Foundation will be making the majority of its grants through the Community Justice Fund, a joint initiative created to support specialist social welfare legal advice organisations with the impact of COVID-19.
The Community Justice Fund is made up of contributions from a range of sources, including funds from independent foundations and donors
Here listed are the organisations we have awarded the Community Justice Fund Grant across the North West, supporting their vital work in providing access to justice for all.
We raise funds and distribute them strategically to those advice agencies that can make the most difference to the lives of vulnerable people.
We fund Law Centres, local citizens’ advice, independent advice agencies, pro bono projects and national charities, which help to facilitate access to justice
Our current objectives are to:
- Increase funding for the advice and pro bono sectors
- To build on the effectiveness of grant making on both a local and national scale
- To support the sector by providing leadership and encouraging collaboration
The Community Justice Fund
In 2021, the Foundation will be making the majority of its grants through the Community Justice Fund, a joint initiative created to support specialist social welfare legal advice organisations with the impact of COVID-19.
The Community Justice Fund is made up of contributions from a range of sources, including funds from independent foundations and donors
Here listed are the organisations we have awarded the Community Justice Fund Grant across the North West, supporting their vital work in providing access to justice for all.
Merseyside Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £4, 200
Location: Merseyside
Merseyside Law Centre provides free legal advice assistance and representation for legally aided housing matters across the Liverpool City Region and welfare benefits and Asylum Support in Liverpool. Their principle objective is to combat poverty and homelessness by providing free, accessible, confidential, quality advice and representation to assist clients to pursue their legal rights, within a framework of equality and opportunity. With this grants, the Centre will be able to focus on promoting social inclusion and relieving the needs of individuals, who are, or, who may become, socially excluded as a result of factors such as unemployment, race, financial hardship, ill health (physical or mental) and youth or old age.
Citizens Advice Halton
Grant Awarded: £27, 016
Location: Halton
Citizens Advice Halton is a registered a charity, operating since 1947, providing independent & impartial information, advice & advocacy. We have a successful track record of providing specialist level casework in Housing, Debt, Benefits and Employment. The Community Justice Fund grant will enable CAB Halton to resume their much needed employment law advice service, especially as the furlough scheme winds down. The employment law advice service would strengthen and complement their existing advice services and also increase the chances of engaging with clients who, although are entitled to employment advice, support and ultimately redress, may not otherwise approach CAB Halton for other types of advice.
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Grant Awarded: £95, 000
Location: Manchester
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) was established over 30 years ago to ensure access to justice for people who are survivors of torture, trafficking and human rights abuse as well as families and others who are separated and affected by immigration controls. They advise and represent people at all stages of the legal immigration and public law process, including the First and Upper tier tribunal, the Administrative Court, and the Court of Appeal. The flexible grant will help the stability of GMIAU throughout this period of uncertainty and risk so that they can continue to provide access to justice through essential services to existing clients and respond to new emerging needs.
Cumbria Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £1, 800
Location: Cumbria
Cumbria Law Centre is an independent charity offering free legal advice and casework in social welfare matters, namely housing, welfare benefits, debt and employment issues. They have been in operation for over 30 years, dealing with around 3000 enquiries each year from people who live or work in Cumbria, a huge and varied county, spread across 7 separate, second-tier local authorities. The Community Justice Grant will help Cumbria Law Centre to face the challenges of self-isolation by staff members and in its efforts to try and reduce non-essential physical contact between people in our centre.
Manchester Refugee Support Network
Grant Awarded: £20, 000
Location: Manchester
Over the last two decades, Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) has nurtured fledgling Refugee Community Organisations. It currently comprises 21 member organisations that support the development, training and information needs of over 40 RCOs. MRSN raised funds to develop its own free, impartial, and accessible advice service for refugees and those seeking asylum: The Refugee Advice Service is MRSN’s longest-standing direct service which augments an RCO’s ability to effectively deliver social welfare advice services to its vulnerable members. The Community Justice Fund grant will allow the Network to continue employing staff in the current funding crisis, increase staff hours to deal with the increased demand for their services and fund their increased IT costs as a result of the pandemic.
Rainbow Haven
Grant Awarded: £20, 000
Location: Manchester
Established in 2003, Rainbow Haven offers a place of welcome, support and opportunity for refugees, people seeking asylum and vulnerable migrants in Greater Manchester, seeing around 1,000 people each year. The advice team provides complex casework to around 800 people each year on a range of areas, and Rainbow Haven also provides food parcels, support for people to find routes out of destitution and a community drop-in session three times a week. The Community Justice Fund grant would allow Rainbow Haven to protect and extend core staff salaries, and expect to offer supper, advice and guidance to 350 people using the flexible grant.
Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre
Grant Awarded: £34, 200
Location: Salford
Salford Unemployed Community Resource Centre supports disadvantaged people in the Salford community by providing free legal advice and representation in employment law, welfare rights and debt advice. The effects of the Covid-19 has resulted and will continue to result in further job losses with millions signing for Universal Credit. The Community Justice Fund grant will support the salaries and running costs for their Employment Law, Welfare Rights and Debt advice service, to ensure the Centre can continue to run at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Equality and Employment Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £4, 200
Location: Liverpool
Equality and Employment Law Centre (previously Merseyside Employment Law) was formed in 2003 as a non-for-profit organisation designed to help address the deep-seated inequalities facing our communities by providing access to discrimination and employment legal advice and representation to members of the public. The Community Justice Grant will help to protect vulnerable individuals from unfair treatment and support charities and voluntary sector employers in Liverpool City Region and nationwide to address HR, Employment Law and Equality issues in the workplace, understanding their responsibilities and promoting a fairer and more equal society.
Citizens Advice North Lancashire
Grant Awarded: £55, 750
Location: Lancashire
Citizens Advice North Lancashire offers free, confidential, up to date information and advice to those living, working or studying in Morecambe, Lancaster, Heysham and the surrounding area and hold legal aid contracts in housing and debt. This Community Justice Fund grant will allow Citizen’s Advice North Lancashire to offer further channels for advice giving that will include web chat and video calling within partner agencies. They will also use the fund to purchase safeguarding methods so that clients in GP surgeries the food bank and other outreach venues can allow clients to their service online- face to face, safely and confidentially at places they feel safe and comfortable.
Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton
Grant Awarded: £64, 200
Location: Bolton
Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton is a registered charity, based in Bolton, Greater Manchester with a track record in delivering advice at specialist level, including carrying out end-to-end casework for clients, carrying out representation and court work as they hold legal aid contracts in Housing, Immigration (asylum), Housing, Community care and Welfare Benefits. This grant will help CAB Bury and Bolton cover the costs incurred by via the purchase of laptops and other equipment at the start of lockdown, as well as making suitable changes and provisions in order to return back to providing direct face-to-face advice.
Citizens Advice Allerdale
Grant Awarded: £25, 000
Location: Cumbria
Citizens Advice Allerdale is a registered charity and non-for-profit that focuses on providing free legal support to residents of Cumbria. The organisation currently has a legal aid contract to provide specialist level Housing and Debt advice. Current restrictions on new possession cases have significantly decreased demand for CAB Allerdale’s service and so funding from the Legal Aid Agency. Once restrictions are lifted, the effects of lengthier notice periods and extended pre-action protocols are likely to further delay returns to previous levels of demand and therefore funding. The Community Justice Fund grant would ensure the continuation of the service through this temporary period, preparing cases for post lockdown restrictions and supporting those with immediate housing problems.
Vauxhall Community Law and Information Centre
Grant Awarded: £4, 200
Location: Liverpool
Vauxhall Community Law and Information Centre provides a free face to face advice service to residents of Vauxhall, Liverpool with a range of legal advice services in respect of all Welfare Benefits, Debt and Housing matters. They have also recently started a Bereavement support service for those who need advice after they have lost someone. With the support of this grant, the Centre can help achieve its goals of providing free, comprehensive access to justice to the Vauxhall community on a range of social welfare issues.
Flyde Coast and Legal Advice Centre
Grant Awarded: £76, 655
Location: Blackpool
The Fylde Coast Advice and Legal Centre exists to provide social welfare and human rights law services for people who are on low incomes, disadvantaged, oppressed or marginalised groups throughout the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. As a registered charity, the Centre seeks to provide a core service of advice, casework and representation free of charge. They also undertake social policy work which includes campaigning on issues that affect the community. This grant with help to complement existing advice services and assist with actual representation which very few local organisations on the Flyde Coast provide.
Revive CIO
Grant Awarded: £10, 899
Location: Manchester
Revive CIO is an independent and grassroot community project which provides free practical support, services and advocacy for refugees and people seeking asylum - regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, age, or belief. Revive provides a range of high-quality services with three friendly drop-in sessions, offering advice, guidance and support on immigration, housing, healthcare and integration programmes/courses. It also offers emergency provisions, specialised casework, advocacy and volunteering opportunities to the refugee and asylum community. This grant would support them in reacting to the spike in complex cases due to Covid-19 by helping fund their Immigration OISC Level 3 Advisor for 12 months who coordinates the immigration team that consists of level 2 and level 1 advisors as well as eight volunteers.
