Hello everyone,
Jo and I have promised to help a friend of ours, James Jatta, by helping him find the money to pay for a legal appeal hearing that will help James and his wife Susan stay in the UK.

Many of you know James and Susan and what they do for their communities in Bristol. James came to the UK from The Gambia as a student 15 years ago, legally and with the right to work. Eventually he qualified as an AAT technician accountant and he is pursuing further studies in Chartered Accountancy (ACCA). He applied for leave to remain in the UK but since he was not recognised as an asylum seeker nor a refugee, his application was turned down and eventually even his right to work was revoked.

Since then, James and Susan have lived in Bristol with no means of support. To help themselves and others, they look after a Bristol Hospitality Network house, with 10 other refugees and asylum seekers from all over the world who would otherwise be destitute.

Last December, James heard that his appeal would be heard in April 2017, but he will be meeting his solicitors in February and will need to pay the barrister's fee of £350. This amount excludes the solicitor's fees, but the barrister is the one who will argue his case. It's a good case. James and Susan contribute greatly to their communities on a voluntary basis: at St. Nick's church, at Bristol Hospitality Network (BHN) and at Bristol Refugee Rights (BRR) in their local area.

It's not a lot of money to raise. We are not able to help James and Susan in many ways, but this is one small thing that we can do. We'd like to ask your help too, please.

If you know James and Susan, and would like to contribute, please also add a comment to say why you want to help. It would really help James' appeal if he can get letters of commendation stating all the ways in which he and Susan are active in their community.