Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

With the cost of living crisis hitting across the UK, more and more people are unable to afford the legal help they need. Further, legal aid cuts over the years have meant that more members of the public are without legal aid despite the lack of personal funds to be able to seek legal help and the growing need for public funding. Even if members of the public are eligible for legal aid, this does not guarantee that they will be able to find a provider to support them, as strain in the industry has meant that many firms are at capacity and are unable to take on new cases. The lack of access to justice means that litigants in person are having to navigate the complex court and tribunal system alone, whilst often facing their own vulnerabilities which are exacerbated by a lack of legal representation. The Bar Council in their report from November 2022, titled 'Access denied: The state of the justice system in England and Wales in 2022', has stated that being a litigant in person is "the horror of your life and your family’s life and you only have some leaflets to advise you."

Having worked in a legal charity, without access to justice and legal representation, I have seen and worked firsthand on cases where litigants in person have faced police brutality, witnessed their loved ones die as a result of the failure of the state to safeguard them, experienced a lack of provisions being made for their children with SEND requirements which can result in the child being excluded from school, among other issues.

As such, I have joined the White Collar Boxing programme to fundraise for an issue close to my heart. I am training every day to fight in White Collar Boxing fight on 22/09/2023, in order to fight for access to justice. I am a beginner to boxing, and hope to raise £1000 for the Southwark Law Centre, which provides crucial advice to people across London.

The Southwark Law Centre and their branch office Lewisham Law Centre provide specialist advice for almost 2000 people each year. We prioritise the most complex cases aiming to prevent homelessness, destitution, discrimination, and breaches of human rights. None of the people we help could afford to pay for legal advice, and the situation is getting more difficult for them with the cost of living crisis and the hostile environment for migrants and refugees. We rely on grants and donations to continue our services. There is no Legal Aid for many of the cases we take on such as helping with Windrush compensation, fighting discriminatory school exclusions and representing people struggling with benefits.

Any donations are appreciated, and thank you for supporting my fundraising!