Who and how we help
The Yorkshire Legal Support Trust is a local arm of the Access to Justice Foundation, the only national charity with a focus on funding and supporting access to justice across the UK. The way in which the Foundation helps accomplish this goal is by raising funds through events and distributing grants to charities that provide free legal advice and or representation for the community.
We raise funds and distribute them strategically to those advice agencies that can make the most difference to the lives of vulnerable people.
We fund Law Centres, local citizens’ advice, independent advice agencies, pro bono projects and national charities, which help to facilitate access to justice.
Our current objectives are to:
- Increase funding for the advice and pro bono sectors
- To build on the effectiveness of grant making on both a local and national scale
- To support the sector by providing leadership and encouraging collaboration
The Community Justice Fund
In 2021, the Foundation will be making the majority of its grants through the Community Justice Fund, a joint initiative created to support specialist social welfare legal advice organisations with the impact of COVID-19.
The Community Justice Fund is made up of contributions from a range of sources, including funds from independent foundations and donors.
Here are the organisations we have awarded the Community Justice Fund Grant to across Yorkshire, supporting their vital work in providing access to justice for all.
We raise funds and distribute them strategically to those advice agencies that can make the most difference to the lives of vulnerable people.
We fund Law Centres, local citizens’ advice, independent advice agencies, pro bono projects and national charities, which help to facilitate access to justice.
Our current objectives are to:
- Increase funding for the advice and pro bono sectors
- To build on the effectiveness of grant making on both a local and national scale
- To support the sector by providing leadership and encouraging collaboration
The Community Justice Fund
In 2021, the Foundation will be making the majority of its grants through the Community Justice Fund, a joint initiative created to support specialist social welfare legal advice organisations with the impact of COVID-19.
The Community Justice Fund is made up of contributions from a range of sources, including funds from independent foundations and donors.
Here are the organisations we have awarded the Community Justice Fund Grant to across Yorkshire, supporting their vital work in providing access to justice for all.
Kirklees Citizens Advice and Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £109, 500
Location: Yorkshire and Humber
Kirklees Citizens Advice provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities on a wide range of issues including benefits, debt, employment, housing, relationships, immigration and much more. The Community Justice Fund will help Kirklees Citizens Advice to meet the expected shortfall in Legal Aid funding during this year which will arise as a result of the current crisis. This will allow them to retain their specialist Legal Aid services and staff so that provision is available for the long-term, while also allowing them to provide what services they can during the crisis period. The grant will also be used to cover the costs of setting up an employment casework service at this much needed time.
Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £63, 200
Location: Bradford
Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre is a Law Centre that provides specialist advice to the community of Bradford in relation to Debt, Housing, Immigration/Asylum and Welfare Benefits. This grant will help to fund the LAA Housing Team so they can continue to provide specialist advice to non-legally aid able client’s whist they are unable to take on significant numbers of LAA cases enabling them to retain specialist resource and support clients. The grant will also be used to update to a new telephone system to increase the flexibility of staff, as well as cover the cost of an additional Reception worker to facilitate face-to-face access of the office and support clients in using video conference technology.
Sheffield Citizens Advice and Law Centre
Grant Awarded: £54, 200
Location: Sheffield
Citizens Advice Sheffield is Sheffield’s leading provider of advice services and advocacy services. They help about 25,000 people a year, offering confidential, independent, impartial & free services. The Community Justice Fund grant will help CA Sheffield deal with the dramatic increase in demand for advice and casework in light of the pandemic, particularly in respect of housing and housing possession including mortgage possession. The grant will also cover the costs of home working for the legal team including providing laptops and other equipment, as well as enhancing capacity within the team to focus on focus on housing and other priority debt including mortgage possession including representation in county court during this difficult time.
Manuel Bravo Project
Grant Awarded: £54, 200
Location: Leeds
The Manuel Bravo Project provides legal advice, end-to-end casework and representation for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants. They work primarily with asylum seekers who are unable to access Legal Aid for their appeals to the First and Upper Tier Tribunals, providing casework with both in-house OISC Level 3 Caseworkers and pro bono barrister/solicitor team support. A grant from the Community Justice Fund will help in two major ways. Firstly, in allowing more time to secure sustainable and long-term funding for the Project as a whole and secondly allowing for funds to completely change their method of delivery and ensure its sustainability, as they need to change to tech-based casework and provide training and extra management for both staff and volunteers.
Fusion Housing Kirklees Ltd
Grant Awarded: £67, 719
Location: West Yorkshire
Fusion Housing are a non-for-profit that works to help individuals in Kirklees, West Yorkshire who are experiencing housing related problems and need support with learning. A grant from the Community Justice Fund will provide stability, allowing them to deploy experienced legal staff during the transition out of COVID-19, help them address a change in service delivery and account for the increase in demand for their services
Refugee Women Connect
Grant Awarded: £25, 000
Location: West Yorkshire
Refugee Women Connect supports women asylum seekers and refugees in Yorkshire and the North West. Their current activities include an extensive outreach programme which incorporates weekly visits to Initial Accommodation Centres and weekly drop-ins where women can access a range of emotional and practical support and activities. They are also part of various multi-agency drop-ins that take place across the region. With the rise in homelessness and lack of legal support they are developing our casework, including becoming OISC accredited, to respond to the increased need for casework. This grant will allow the organisation to continue funding casework support and keep their services open.
Barnsley and District Citizens Advice Bureau
Grant Awarded: £52, 621
Location: South Yorkshire
Citizens Advice Barnsley is a registered charity with 56 years experience providing advice, information to support local people. The majority of the enquiries they receive relate to debt, welfare benefits, housing and employment. This grant would allow Barnsley and District CAB to adapt existing service to more effectively respond to the changing needs of their community by increasing capacity to take on more specialist welfare benefits casework. Since lockdown they have seen an increase in demand as clients navigate the many changes to the welfare benefits system, therefore funding will help to recruit additional resource in order to offer more support to clients, whilst also supporting the wellbeing of staff by spreading the casework workload and increasing organisational expertise.
