Justice First

25/09/2026

🎥 20 Years of Justice First: Defrim’s Story

Our third film in our 20 Years of Justice First series is here!

In this film, Defrim shares his 10-year journey with Justice First - from navigating the challenges of the asylum and immigration system to receiving support over many years, most recently in his journey towards settlement in the UK.

Defrim’s story is a powerful reminder of why *consistent, long-term support matters.

🎬 Watch the film, share it with your friends and help us spread the word: https://youtu.be/Inynvw2_spE?si=ZxlUQl5oKMxs_iZ3

And if you can, please help us reach our £20,000 fundraising target for our 20th anniversary appeal. We still have a way to go, and every donation makes a difference in helping us continue our work supporting people through the asylum and immigration system.

🧡 Donate here:
https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/20-years-of-justice-help-us-raise-20-000

Thank you to everyone who has supported our 20 years of Justice First - and to the people who have shared their stories and made this series possible.

24/09/2026

24/09/2026

It’s been a busy week of training for us!

On Monday, Emma delivered a session at Hope Beyond Borders in Gateshead for Spanish-speaking individuals, covering the appeals process and how to represent yourself if you don’t have a lawyer.

Then on Wednesday we were back out in the community delivering training to staff and volunteers at Walking With on the asylum and appeals system, including the difference between support and legal advice.

We love getting out into communities and delivering educational sessions like these - raising awareness, sharing knowledge and breaking up the computer time! 🧡

If you’re interested in training for us, please get in touch - we’d love to hear from you!

17/09/2026

We’re so proud of one of our team members, Ellie, who has successfully passed her Level 2 Immigration Exam! 👏

The exam was a huge challenge, and Ellie was convinced she hadn’t passed - so you can imagine the excitement when the results came through! We couldn’t be prouder of her achievement! 🥳

Ellie is a real asset to our team and is hugely appreciated by the clients she supports. As a lovely example of just how much her work means to people, this generous gift was given to Ellie by a client a few weeks ago following a successful application she had worked on. 🧡

Well done, Ellie! 🌟

18/08/2026

We’re looking for new Trustees - could it be you? 👋

Justice First is growing, and we’re looking for passionate, committed people to join our Board and help shape the next chapter of our work.

We’re particularly interested in Trustees with experience in:

⚖️ Legal Work
👥 Human Resources — particularly HR or organisational development

You’ll bring your skills, knowledge and experience to strengthen our Board, provide strategic advice and help us develop effective people practices as Justice First continues to grow and evolve.

We’re also still recruiting for our next Chair!

Our new Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board, supporting strong governance, effective decision-making and legal compliance. You’ll work closely with senior leadership to guide Justice First through its next phase, champion Board diversity including recruiting Trustees with lived experience of the asylum system, and act as an ambassador for the organisation.

You’ll also help oversee organisational performance, financial sustainability and risk management, while building strong relationships across our Board, staff, volunteers, funders and partners.

We’re delighted to have the support of Reach Volunteering with our recruitment drive. 🙌

👉 Find out more and apply here:
https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/opp/trustees-hr-legal

https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/opp/chair-225

Have questions or want to find out more? Get in touch with us!

Please share this post with anyone in your network who might be a great fit. 🧡

Justice First Chair Available Hybrid 1-3 hours / week 3-7 hours / week As our new Chair, you will play a vital role in helping us continue to support refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK, empowering them to rebuild their lives in safety here in the North East. Save opportunity Apply now At a...

14/08/2026

Happy Friday – some more good news from us! 🎉

We’re delighted to share that we have been awarded £50,000 in funding over three years from Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery!

This is another fantastic boost for our organisation and will help us continue our work supporting people experiencing injustice, while developing and strengthening the support we provide to our communities.

We’re hugely grateful to Postcode Neighbourhood Trust and to everyone who plays the People’s Postcode Lottery for making this funding possible.

It’s a great way to head into the weekend – thank you for supporting the work we do! 🧡

27/07/2026

🎬 20 Years of Justice First: Our Stories Series Continues

As we continue marking our 20th anniversary year, we’re sharing the second film in our 20 Years of Justice First Stories Series.

Throughout the year, we’ll be releasing a collection of short films featuring people who have been part of the Justice First journey - including those who have shaped, supported, and experienced our work since we began in 2006.

In this film, we hear from Fathima and Mohamed, who first came to Justice First in 2012 while facing immigration challenges. With support from our organisation over several years, they were able to secure leave to remain in 2018. Today, Fathima and Mohamed are British citizens, settled in the UK, and their children are pursuing successful careers.

Their story is a powerful reminder of the importance of long-term support, community, and access to justice.

Watch Fathima and Mohamed’s story and hear their reflections on their journey with Justice First.

Full-length versions of our films are available on our YouTube channel, with more stories to come throughout the year: https://youtu.be/k5prO7lewYM?si=T7EilVAGqgSCpLls

Please help us share their story and celebrate 20 years of Justice First.

If their story inspires you, please consider making a donation to help us reach our £20,000 anniversary fundraising target. Every contribution helps us continue supporting people and communities for years to come: https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/20-years-of-justice-help-us-raise-20-000

23/07/2026

Today, we'd like to shine a spotlight on North East Trauma Therapy !

We've been working with North East Trauma Therapy since April. One of the invaluable services they provide is clinical report writing, producing detailed reports to support people's immigration applications. So far, they have supported two of our referred clients who were living with significant mental health challenges and had been unable to access the assessments and reports they needed. These clinical reports formed an important part of their immigration cases.

We're delighted to share that one of those clients has since been granted refugee status. They are now able to begin rebuilding their life and focus on their recovery in the safety and stability of the UK.

We're incredibly thankful to North East Trauma Therapy for their expertise, compassion, and support. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship and working together to help more people find safety, hope, and the opportunity to move forward. 🧡

To learn more about the services North East Trauma Therapy offers, visit their website: https://www.northeasttraumatherapy.co.uk/

20/07/2026

We’ve been so busy supporting our clients over the last few months that we’re only just getting around to sharing some fantastic news!

We’re delighted to announce that Justice First has received £19,954 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.🥳

This funding will help us continue providing vital support to people facing injustice and strengthen the work we do with our communities.

A huge thank you to National Lottery players for making this possible. Your support helps organisations like ours continue to make a difference, and we’re incredibly grateful.

Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund for believing in our work and supporting our community. 🧡

24/06/2026