Team A4R Walks Across London (…and elsewhere!)
On Tuesday 13th June 2023, Team A4R completed the London Legal Walk once again!
We had team members walking in London, as well as remotely in Manchester, Hereford, and Seaford.
Pictured: Team A4R (Jenny Wall, Karen O’Sullivan, Cllr Robert Johnson, Ronald Daley, and Nicola Tran) in London
This year, the Team chose to walk the River Route - they walked alongside the River Thames in the warm weather. They were joined by many other charities and organisations who share the same belief that access to legal support is a fundamental right.
Some members of Team A4R are London Legal Walk veterans - while Karen and Robert took on their 2nd walk this year, Tuesday was Jenny’s 3rd time walking to support A4R.
Our CEO Joe Cole completed his 2nd year of the LLW for A4R by running the 10k in Herefordshire, as shown below. He celebrated with some well-deserved ice cream 🍦
Pictured to the left is our wonderful new Head of Fundraising and Communications, Charlotte Vale. She completed her 10k (and even a little more!) by walking in remotely in Manchester.
Why do we walk every year?
After housing costs are taken into account, 27% of people in London are living under the poverty line - it demonstrates a clear need for free legal advice services, especially with an uptick in demand following the pandemic. The funding gap for the sector has doubled from £15m to £30m in just one year, according to a report by the Community Justice Fund (2023).
Pictured above: Founder and Head of Policy Jacky Peacock, who walked across the picturesque Seven Sisters Cliffs in Seaford to complete the LLW remotely
Every penny that is raised will support the most vulnerable in our communities and in dire need of legal assistance, like those such as Joshua*. He is an elderly person living with various medical and mental conditions who received possession proceedings for the home he had lived in for seven years. These were on the ground of alleged rent arrears of almost £6,000, leaving Joshua shocked and distressed as he had been in receipt of benefits since moving into the property and had never been sent rent statements or letters from the landlord about any arrears.
Our Housing Advice Centre team were able to help Joshua find errors and discrepancies in the notices and court papers, and contacted the landlord to point them out. We told him that our client had a counterclaim because of the poor condition of the property and invited the landlord to drop the claim, but he refused. Instead, he relied on estate agents to conduct the court proceedings, rather than a solicitor. However, estate agents do not have the right to represent landlords in court. At the hearing, the Judge dismissed the case and awarded Joshua the costs of fighting the case.
This decision was crucial to Joshua, as he was settled in his home which has an allotment backing onto the garden, providing him with the respite he needs for his mental health.
Above, the photos show A4R pride, as well as images from the scenic river route Team A4R took.
They also had an impromptu reunion with an old colleague Elizabeth Salmon!
We also help those such as Amal*, a single parent of a toddler and dealing with depression. She was made homeless and applied for housing assistance through her local council, who then offered her accommodation in the Midlands. However, she had to refuse the offer as she relies on her support network of family and friends in London to cope with daily life.
The Council closed her file and did not offer her any further help. We stepped in to challenge the Council’s decision by requesting a review and brought the case to the County Court when the Council refused to change their decision. Ultimately, the Council were made to accommodate Amal and her son when she won the appeal, and they were moved into a suitable home in London.
(*names changed to protect clients’ identities)
Our services are vital lifelines to those like Joshua and Amal, and we are currently expanding our services into Herefordshire where we can help even more people who are in dire need.
Currently, we have raised £2,043 - we’re almost there! Can you help us reach £2500?
Your support is needed more than ever, as we strive to continue in providing our services to ensure everyone has a safe and secure place they can call home.