Asylum JusticeAsylum Justice is a response to the growing challenge of dealing fairly with asylum seekers in the UK. Publicly funded legal services for asylum applicants have been severely curtailed as the Government has narrowed the scope of Legal Aid. Even in cases where an asylum seeker is still eligible for Legal Aid it has become increasingly difficult to access legal support as solicitors’ firms pull out of this area of practice because it is uneconomic. Consequently, many asylum seekers are left without legal representation or advice. Asylum Justice will support asylum seekers where they cannot obtain Legal Aid funded support by using qualified volunteers (i.e. solicitors, barristers, Immigration Advisers or corresponding trainees) to fill this gap. Surgeries will be run over an extended weekend period, offering the volunteers the options of working Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays. During the week, the office would operate on a more limited basis, offering support to those volunteers appearing as representatives before the Asylum & Immigration Tribunal. Asylum Justice is a joint venture between Launchpad and Roger Warren-Evans, a retired barrister, commentator and social entrepreneur. The model is currently being developed in action in South Wales (Swansea, Cardiff, Newport) with the assistance of the Welsh Refugee Council and the Swansea Bay Asylum Support Group, with a view to National roll out. Although currently the volunteers are covering all costs, our early experience is that demand is immense and the supply of volunteers very encouraging. |
latest additionsEuropean Venture Philanthropy Association conference in Madrid
Simon Tucker and Andrew Brough attended the annual EVPA conference to highlight Launchpad's activities as an early stage social venture fund and share experiences of investing for social impact with other organisations around Europe.
12 December 2007 | Launchpad
Call for Ideas
Imagining a working world that supports people with long term conditions
12 December 2007 | Launchpad
School of Everything Launches Alpha Site
School of Everything, recently voted amongst Europe's twenty hottest emerging start-ups at Seedcamp, has launched its first version of its online market place for learning.
12 December 2007 | Launchpad
Launch of Studio Schools
Lord Andrew Adonis, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners hosted the reception for the launch of the next phase of Studio Schools on Tuesday 4th of December at the RSA. In attendance were officials and representatives from central and local government, schools, national and local businesses, and a range of charitable foundations - all interested in building upon the progress made thus far.
25 January 2008 | Learning launchpad
Managing long term conditionsThe World Economic Forum has called on businesses to lead the fight against chronic disease, to embed a culture of health and to manage the change in a population where long term conditions are increasingly prevalent. 30 January 2008 | HIA
most readStudio Schools
A new version of 14-19 school hosting businesses where students are employed, earning real wages alongside a project-based curriculum. Full of Life
Peer-to-peer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to provide emotional resilience for old people
Studio SchoolsStudio Schools™ continue to gain momentum following its recent launch and inclusion in government speeches and thinking on promising education initiatives. This builds on the momentum established by the national pilot that started last September at Barnfield College in Luton and the detailed planning for studio schools now being conducted at eight local authority areas around the UK. 30 January 2008 | Learning launchpad
Faking It
Faking It aims to provide Young People with the experience and demands of the real-world.
Changing Health
Changing Health aims to address the problems people with long term conditions face, by developing a new flexible support structure
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