Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please take a few minutes to read through the information on this page, as the cause is an important one!
More information about the London Legal Support Trust can be found on the website.
Why is this cause important?
The majority of voluntary Law Centres are engaged in an ongoing and critical struggle for funding. Volunteers and supporters must not only spend time on the valuable work they do in providing legal assistance, but must also use time that could be spent furthering their core aims on seeking funding to ensure the continued existence of the centre. The funding provided by the London Legal Support Trust can be crucial to ensure that centres are able to continue operating.
OK, but why are these voluntary law centres so important?
True access to justice cannot be guaranteed by the legal aid system alone. In many important areas of law such as, for instance, employment law, legal aid is not available - this is problematic, given that these are areas of law which can relate to fundamental rights.
The work of voluntary law centres also goes towards tackling issues of social exclusion. By making people aware of their rights and empowering them to assert those rights where they are threatened, law centres encourage the development of a sense of citizenship and promote engagement with the community. These are wider benefits which go much further than the advice given in a particular case.
Why do you care? Why should I care?
As far as I am concerned, it is absolutely essential that the law should be accessible, because it cannot hope to deliver justice if access is a matter of means. My involvement with organisations providing free legal representation to the disadvantaged has been sobering at times, as one realises exactly how opaque and inaccessible the law can appear to those who have already been marginalised and are rightly suspicious of its ability to protect them. Even as lawyers (which many of you reading this page will be), the law can seem arcane and overly complex. Imagine then how daunting and incomprehensible it could seem to a layperson, especially those of limited means. We all have an interest in ensuring the law can do its job properly, and part of that is ensuring that people are aware of how it applies to them.
So what are you doing?
Well, obviously I am trying to raise as much money as possible for this very deserving cause - but as for what I'm actually doing - this involves hauling myself reluctantly out of bed to run repeatedly in the best (sarcasm...) of the winter weather and ultimately running round 26.2 miles of London tarmac on 25 April 2010. I may be persuaded to run one of the preparation races (Silverstone, Fleet or Oakley) in a silly costume if you donate enough money. Feel free to add time incentives into your donation - I am aiming for under 4 hours this time, and hopefully won't get beaten by anyone dressed up as Scooby Doo.
Additionally, LexisNexis has very kindly agreed to match donations through the RE Cares programme, so please sponsor me now and remember to Gift Aid if you're a UK taxpayer.
Donating through JustGiving
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
