We sat down with Geoffrey, who volunteers at our Exeter service, about his time at Support Through Court and why he decided to start volunteering with us. He joined us in 2018, moving over to the National Helpline during lockdown before returning to the local service.

'I'd heard about the charity after they hosted a talk at an organisation that I worked at around the time that I retired, and decided to sign up as a volunteer shortly after.'

After attending a talk at the organisation he worked for and discovering the work we do, Geoffrey decided to sign up as a volunteer with us. When asked why he continues to volunteer with us, he said:

'I enjoy going to court with people because then you get a feel of how the case will actually go and be there with them from start to finish. A lot of the people we help are very stressed, and to see them go away a little less stressed is quite rewarding.'

News has the power to make and break elections. Turn everyday people into overnight superstars. And bring them crashing back down to earth.

We base our opinions, decisions and arguments on it. It shapes the world around us – and the way we make sense of it. But can it ever be truly objective? And is the news you consume the same as everyone else’s?

On Monday 16 May, we'll be joined by lead curator of the new British Library exhibition Breaking the News, Luke McKernan, to discuss the exhibit and answer key questions about sensationalism and crime stories, spotlighting stories, propaganda, and much more.

This event will be held over Zoom from 6pm. Tickets are £5, with the chance to add a voluntary donation to support our work further. 

We would like to extend our thanks to all our new Guardians sign-ups over the past three months. These include: 9 St John Street, 12 King’s Bench Walk, Blackstone Chambers, Burges Salmon, Cooley, Devereux, Doyle Clayton, Henry Dannell, Old Square Chambers and Selborne Chambers.

Without your generous support, thousands of people would have no choice but to face the complicated court system alone.

Domestic abuse is not just a matter for the family courts; abuse is a crime and should be reported to the police, which may then go through the criminal courts. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you might be wary about your next steps.

Family Law Associate Yasmin Khan-Gunns of BLM provided an insight into what you can expect to happen if you or a friend report an incident of domestic abuse to our blog this month. 

She broke down the process of reporting abuse and what support you can receive during it. 

The Chelmsford team held a jumble sale in March and raised over £500!

There's still some stock to be sold, so if you're in the area do consider popping into the office and having a browse. 

Congratulations to Carolyn, Jo, Ros, Jenna and Fareen for the success, and thank you for all your hard work on the day.

If you would like to fundraise for us, find out how below. 

The past few months have seen an influx of events for us, including student talks, book talks, and employments talks. 

Our Masterclass Series returned at the end of February, with Irwin Mitchell kindly hosting the event. This time they focused on 'Preparing for a Career in Law' - an informative webinar with speakers from top law firms and barristers chambers; giving an insight into the recruitment process in the legal profession, how to prepare for interviews and make your application stand out. We run these quite frequently, so do keep an eye out for the next one!

Next came our Employment Law Breakfast, discussing the ways in which the pandemic has effected employment litigations and how it may continue to do so. We were joined by an expert panel of industry professionals, heading an incredibly insightful conversation. 

And finally, we hosted our next In Conversation event with barrister and author Christian Weaver, with discussion and Q&A chaired by Catherine Baksi. It covered a wide range of topics from access to justice to communication and learning, proving to be a great evening. A recording can be found here.

We have a really exciting events calendar coming up this year, and we hope to see you there!

Over the next five years, we’re scaling up our services so that we can support more people, in more places, in a way that suits them. We’ll use technology to connect with more people, in more places, more cost effectively. We'll invest in recruiting and training more volunteers to empower people dealing with the stressful navigation of the court process. And we’ll continue to ensure that clients are at the heart of all we do, so they know they’re not alone.

Committed donors, leaving lasting gifts, will help us achieve this and assist more people than ever before. Their support enables all we do, and we're committed to making the most of every penny.

You too can be part of this change.

We'll have some new resources coming out over the next few months to show you how you can do this, and why it will change lives. Keep an eye out for them!