Ten years of walking the LLW
Tuesday 18th June marked the tenth time A4R completed the London Legal Walk! We had team members who not only walked in London but also in Hereford and Oxford, and we also had our first corporate team!
Our teams in London took the River route once again, joined by colleagues within the legal sector in support of free legal advice agencies who are working on the frontline to provide integral services.
Some of our team have been walking for 10 years, while for others, it was their first! For Jess, our lead for the London Legal Walk and our Fundraising Assistant, it was her first time both managing the LLW and participating in the walk. She did an amazing job considering the huge milestone for A4R’s participation in the LLW over the years.
It was the first time for some of our corporate team too, including one of our trustees, Peddy who was able to rally his colleagues to walk in support of A4R. They wore green to reflect our brand colour.
Our CEO Joe Cole also completed the walk remotely through peaceful fields of Hereford. Fundraising Development Coordinator Nicola Tran did the 10k walk in Oxford, crossing through multiple parks and landmarks.
Why do we walk every year?
It’s been 11 years since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 came into effect in April 2013. This Act cut legal aid spending, therefore cutting off access to vital legal help for many vulnerable people. You can read more about the effects of LASPO here. We’ve been walking for 10 years to raise funds so that we can continue to meet the needs of low-income, vulnerable private renters. With housing legal aid providers being on the brink of collapse due to this legal aid crisis, we’re aware of the importance of our presence for a lot of households.
Since the last LLW, we’ve managed to achieve so much with your support. We were able to expand to Hereford, where before our presence, residents of Herefordshire had no legal aid providers, though neighbouring Worcestershire had one.
Every penny goes towards helping our clients who are in desperate need of legal advice. Each year, we take on hundreds of cases, demonstrating the dire need for our services. For 2022/23, we were able to help over 350 households with our legal advice. At any point during the year, we had an average of 75 open legal help and legal aid cases. We also provide general housing advice and signpost over 1500 people each year.
The money that we raise goes towards clients such as Matthew*. Matthew came to us in a very panicked state after receiving a Section 21 possession notice. He was dealing with various mental health issues including living with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. He also had a history of suicide attempts when feeling emotionally overwhelmed and lived with chronic physical health conditions. He had been at his property for over 6 years, after previously being street homeless. He had a dog and 2 cats which helped him with his mental health, and was therefore distraught at the thought of losing them from being evicted as many landlords operate a blanket ban on pets. His support worker helped him put a defence in before he came to us. Our Housing Advice Team helped him prepare a statement as we provided legal representation for him, and were able to settle the issues with his landlord.
(*names changed to protect clients’ identities)
We’ve also been tirelessly campaigning with other organisations in the Renters Reform Coalition. The Renters (Reform) Bill faced many attempts to delay and water it down, and it was not prioritised by the Government before the election. It's now up to the new Labour government to deliver the reforms to ensure the protections that renters deserve.
In addition, we’ve been working with organisations such as Inclusion London to call on the Government to promote information about the accessibility of privately rented homes, so Disabled renters have access to a home that actually meets their needs.
Your support is absolutely invaluable to us. All money raised will go towards supporting those like Matthew.
Currently, we have raised £1,435 - we’re almost there!
Can you help us reach £3000?
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.