Campaign & fundraising volunteers

Why do we have a campaign and fundraising team?

From the beginning, we have been more than a Law Centre. We are a campaign for free access to justice. We demand free legal advice and representation for all who need it, and we challenge unjust legislation and policy.

To apply to join our campaign and fundraising volunteer team:

Many of our campaign and fundraising roles are flexible, because they involve working outside of office hours and away from our premises.

1. Download and complete application form below,
2. Send it to the address stated in the application form, and in your cover letter or email, tell us any other information you would like us to know about your skills, interests and availability.
3. One of our development workers will be in touch to discuss ways you can work with our team.

What do our campaign and fundraising volunteers do?

Our Editorial and Research Group

The group was launched in June 2017. Volunteers research and write articles on topical legal issues, so that we can use our platform to bring important legal questions to the fore. These articles have been picked up by external news sources such as the Legal Voice, and widely shared on social media.

See our articles so far:

• Welfare conditionality and gender discrimination
• 70,000 disabled claimants to receive up to £150million more in arrears thanks to legal action against Government
• ‘Blatantly discriminatory’ PIP criteria cost £3.6bn and 2.5 years of unnecessary suffering for claimants
• When ‘Universal’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Universal’: A recent judgment
• Law Centres win in the High Court to prevent home loss
• Law Centres network to challenge the Ministry of Justice
• Case commentary: Barton v Wright Hassall LLP
• Welfare for Social Welfare Professionals: Encouraging the next generation of legal aid lawyers
• Strategic Litigation and the Fight for Our Rights
• The PIP Claim Process: A Study
• Social and Legal Causes of Homelessness
• ESA Claims: A Study
• Were Grenfell Tower residents denied access to justice?

Volunteers fundraise for our survival

Volunteers organise fundraising events and activities to support our fight for free access to justice. For example, GMLC volunteers organised a team for the Great Manchester Run 2018 and raised over £2,000.

Our volunteers represent GMLC at community and outreach events

This includes showing our support for campaigns and movements related to our own, fundraising, recruiting and keeping our ear to the ground in our community.

We have supported:

• GMCDP’s Free Benefits Self Defence Training
• Trade union movement’s 150th birthday conference
• May Day celebrations
• Day of action against Universal Credit evictions
• Young Legal Aid Lawyers’ Social Mobility Report Launch
• Greater Manchester Housing Action‘s Renters’ Forum
• Solidarity with Grenfell rally
• Black Lawyers Matter launch

Volunteers maintain our campaign infrastructure

This includes updating our website and keeping out mailing lists up to date.

“I now help run the website, provide research support for campaigning activities and help publicise and run events. Working for the GMLC has been a rewarding experience and I’m excited by the ways in which it can continue to improve and strengthen our community in the future.” – Campaign Volunteer Tom Goldup

Many of these roles are flexible, because they involve working outside of office hours and away from our premises.

Looking for a different type of volunteering work?

As well as our campaign and fundraising volunteers, we are also looking for service volunteers:

• Reception/front of house volunteers,
• Welfare benefits application assistance, and
• Welfare benefits case workers.

Services volunteers must have at least one day per week to dedicate to working on our premises.

Please click here to find out more. You can join both the campaign and the services volunteer team.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any other skills to offer. We are running an office and sometimes need a handywoman/man. Or you can help with transport to events, bake a cake… anything, please get in touch with development@gmlaw.org.uk.