Manchester meeting on 23.09

Justice Alliance North and Access to Advice are organising a public meeting about the future of free, publicly funded advice during the Labour party conference. It will take place on Tuesday 23 September 2014 from 5 pm in Manchester.

We are asking members who have Labour MPs or councillors to invite them to attend the meeting. Some draft text for an email is below that you are welcome to adapt. You can copy this into a message to send via this site, which will also tell you who your MP or councillor is if you enter your postcode: https://www.writetothem.com/ 

Particularly if you are in the north of England, we would also be grateful if you can tell clients, advisers and groups that work with people needing advice about the meeting. They are all very welcome to attend too. Some information to send them is below along with copies of a flyer and leaflet. Can you print out some of the materials to put on your reception at work? Or put the jpg version of the flyer on facebook or twitter to publicise the event?

Thank you for any help you can give to promote this event.

Email text for MPs

Dear [NAME OF MP/councillor],

I write as your constituent to invite you to a meeting on Tuesday 23rd September 2014 about the future of free, publicly funded legal advice.
 
The meeting is from 5 pm onwards and will take place at the Cross Street Chapel, Manchester M2 1NL. It is being organised by Justice Alliance North and Access to Advice.
 
This is important to me because I am worried people are no longer able to find help for complicated problems in areas like benefits, employment, family and immigration after cuts in April 2013. The advice sector is also under even greater pressure as it faces new cuts to legal aid for criminal law and judicial review.
 
It is now hard for good quality advisers to stay afloat to provide a service to the people that need it. I was very concerned about the recent news that Manchester now has no law centres at all after South Manchester law centre closed in August as a result of legal aid cuts.
 
The speakers at the meeting on Tuesday 23rd September are Andy Slaughter MP, family lawyer Cris McCurley and Denise McDowell from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit. There will also be participants from local community groups and a screening of a film about legal aid made by the Justice Alliance.
 
I would be very grateful if you would be able to attend the meeting. Please let me know if this is possible. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this email.
 
Kind regards,
 
 
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
 
 
Message to send community groups 
 
Justice for All! Cuts to legal aid and advice services deny us access to justice
 
Access To Advice and Justice Alliance North invite you to a public meeting about the future of free, publicly funded legal advice.
 
Come along to the meeting
It’s taking place during the Labour Party Conference in Manchester . We want local and national politicians to hear what you have to say about the cuts to legal aid and advice services, the impact on people and communities and defending and building publicly funded legal advice.
 
‘Justice for All’ Public Meeting
Speakers
Andy Slaughter MP, Shadow Justice Minister
Cris McCurley, Family lawyer, Ben Hoare and Bell , Legal Aid firm of the year 2014
Denise McDowell, Director, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
 
Also – we will be screening a film by the Justice Alliance about legal aid and access to advice.
 
Tuesday 23 September 2014
From 5pm with refreshments
Cross Street Chapel, Manchester M2 1NL
For directions to Cross St Chapel use this link: http://cross-street-chapel. org.uk/directions/
 
The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome. There are hoardings around the venue but it is open and we will be inside! The pavement on the Chapel Street side is partly closed off but there is a dropped kerb at the venue for wheelchair users.
 
If you have any questions beforehand please email northernsavejustice@gmail.com or send us a message on Twitter @NorthernJust
 
Please tell other people about the meeting: forward this email, use the attached publicity materials