Who we are

Justice Together aims to ensure that people who use the UK immigration system can access justice and thrive.

Justice Together is a unique collaboration by independent funders in the UK. It will invest in free legal advice and national policy advocacy to support the lawful and fair functioning of immigration, nationality and asylum processes.

Over the next five years, more than £9 million of new funding has been committed by founding funders with others likely to join.

Contributing funders include: Paul Hamlyn Foundation, AB Charitable Trust, Baring Foundation, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Comic Relief, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Oak Foundation, Unbound Philanthropy, Trust for London and Tudor Trust.

Justice Together is hosted by Justice Collaborations, a registered charity and subsidiary of The Legal Education Foundation

What we will do

Justice Together will help people access legal advice and representation, strengthen sector organisations over the long term, and coordinate to achieve wider improvements so that advice is accessible, effective and sustainably resourced.

As well as offering funding, we will support partners to improve the power and influence of people who use the system.

Justice Together aims to operate for a decade. Funding will target particular regions and areas of need, to be decided based on mapping, further research and consultation with stakeholders.

Our approach

The initiative responds to the challenges faced by the legal advice sector, and evidence that people in communities around the UK are struggling to access justice.

Funders recognise that this initiative cannot fill the gap left by the removal of public funding. However, trusts and foundations provide vital independent resource for legal advice and representation on immigration, nationality and asylum law.

Justice Together is rooted in the belief that a better coordinated and more strategic approach will help address these systemic challenges in partnership with the non-profit sector.

Justice Together was announced before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. We know that this changes the context for our work. We are working with partners to understand the impact on access to justice, and on the charitable sector. Many of our contributing funders are also involved in direct emergency support to organisations, such as the London Community Response Fund and the Community Justice Fund.

News

Justice Together was announced in February 2020.

Hazel Williams has been appointed to lead the initiative, working with the legal and migration sectors, with directly affected communities, and with the contributing funders to develop the strategy and operating model, build relationships and an evidence and learning approach. Hazel is currently National Director at NACCOM, a membership organisation working to tackle migrant destitution, and was previously Director of the Asylum Support Appeals Project. She is Chair of Metropolitan Migration Foundation and a Trustee of the North of England Refugee Service. Hazel will take up this role in August and we are now recruiting the rest of the team.

Further details of the geographical focus, staff team, the funding opportunities and the detailed timeframe for applications will be announced in the coming months.

Resources

Justice Together draws on the experience of people in the immigration system, and on evidence and research. These include:

Get in touch

Whether you would like to find out more about Justice Together, have a query about funding applications, or would like to support us in some way, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Please contact us using the form below.

You can also find us on Twitter @justice_tog