This rather wonderful initiative by local barrister Twanieka Alcindor looks to provide free legal resources to those in need, offering help and advice every Thursday evening from the Brixton Soup Kitchen in Coldharbour Lane.
In order for the project to flourish, the organisers are looking to raise £2,000 to help further their aims. They got in touch with Buzz to tell us more about their project:
My name is Twanieka Alcindor and I am a non-practicing barrister and founder of the pro-bono project ‘Lawyers in the Soup Kitchen’ which operates at Brixton Soup Kitchen, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton each Thursday evening between 6pm- 8:30pm.
The projects creation stemmed from my admiration of the founders of the Brixton Soup Kitchen who took personal responsibility for supporting members of the community though their difficulties.
I felt that I could make a difference to the community I was born and raised in by using the legal knowledge and skills I had gained through my work and legal studies to educate those in my community who had legal problems.
More importantly those that lacked the resources to allow them access to justice. The many recent legal aid cuts, coupled with the increased over subscription at the local legal advice centres meant that many who needed urgent legal help e.g eviction dates or bailiffs at the front door simply could not get it or afford it.
In support of the work of Brixton Soup Kitchen in December 2014 I began volunteering my time each week speaking with and helping those who attended the Soup Kitchen with their legal problems and being called ‘The Lawyer in the Soup Kitchen’.
The project is now run by a team of 8 student lawyers, mainly from marginalised groups whom volunteer each week to assist members of the public in their legal queries and problems.
The project has no funding and all of our resources come out of our own pockets and all of our time is FREE. In addition, in situations whereby we are unable to personally assist our clients we facilitate effective referrals to other legal professionals and pro-bono organisations. We do not turn anyone away.
In Summer 2017 Lawyers in the Soup Kitchen aim to launch a project called ‘Brixton on Trial’.
The aim of this project is to raise awareness of the following issues
which affect our community:1) Legal Aid Cuts and the work of LISK project
2) Youth Crime and Violence in the Brixton/ Lambeth areas
3) The connections between Poverty and Crime.
4) Encouraging students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue
careers in law.We wish to include local lawyers, businesses, students from local secondary schools and members of the public in a ‘Mock’ Criminal Trial dealing with the above issues and seeking to educate participants on both the processes and procedures of stop and search and a criminal investigation and trial.
We hope to record the trial to place online for others to access and refer to.
In order to enable us to conduct this trial we are seeking funding and sponsorship from our local community. We are hoping to raise £2,000 to assist us and welcome the support of the community to help us to continue “Helping communities to help themselves”.
To discuss sponsorship or donations please visit the funding page or contact Twanieka Alcindor lawyersinthesoupkitchen@outlook.com.