IPR Advice

Islington People's Rights

Independent Welfare Benefits
and Debt Advice in Islington

London Legal Walk 2018

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IPR will be taking part in the London Legal Walk once again on Monday 21st May 2017. This year we have an IPR team of 11, made up of staff, trustees, and supporters. The sponsored 10km walk in central London is organised by The London Legal Support Trust, who work to support access to justice in London and the South East.

This year the IPR team are walking in memory of Jayne Okacha, the former IPR locum caseworker, who passed away earlier in May 2018, following a stroke.

All the money raised by the IPR team goes direct to Islington People’s Rights to help us continue our vital work helping Islington’s most vulnerable residents. We hope to raise more than £2000 for Islington People’s Rights.

If you would like to donate, please visit the following link: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/IslingtonPeoplesRights18

IPR Annual Review 2017

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Download a copy of our IPR Annual Review 2017 (PDF)

Chair’s Report

Welcome to IPR’s Annual Review. As Chair, I’m delighted to report a year of very solid progress in achieving our aims. These include providing essential, specialist advice to well over 2,500 people in acute need. We target our service towards those groups and individuals too often left behind in today’s Britain. Over 75% of our clients are disabled and a high proportion live with poor mental health. We are a multi-channel service and provided advice via our telephone service to over 6,000 individuals in the last year.

As in previous years, we have seen demand for our services continue to increase. This is the result of the deepening of the Government’s austerity programme which continues to squeeze welfare benefits, particularly for people with disabilities. The sheer weight of welfare reforms (including the long awaited introduction of Universal Credit) and rising interest rates threatening to tip more people into unmanageable debt also continues to present challenges to our dedicated and skilled advice teams. IPR is widely and deservedly recognised for its quality and expertise and this has translated into receiving more referrals from other agencies. This is flattering but the specialist work is involved and it takes time to grind through the welfare system; as an organisation we continue to be ever-vigilant about how we use our scarce resources so we maximise our effect on the often marginalised Islington residents whom we serve.

IPR funding from Islington Council has been confirmed until March 2020 which is a tremendous boost to our core advice service. Islington Council must be commended for investing in its advice services at a time when other London Boroughs are cutting theirs. We have continuation funding from Trust for London for the Access+ project working with local BAMER communities. The grant from the Big Lottery Local Sustainability Fund allowed us to put extra resources into fundraising and building partnerships with law firms and others to maximise our reach. We recently secured funding from new sources, notably the NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund, and Henry Smith Charity.

I am very proud to be Chair of IPR but it would an empty position without our wonderful staff and volunteers who together make such a positive impact every day on the lives of our clients. I would like to thank my predecessor as Chair, Tim Aldridge. I would also like to express appreciation for the time committed by fellow Trustees as well as the resources of time and money given by our supporters that make everything possible. Our services are needed more than ever and with your continued support, we can look forward to another successful year!

Matt Brown

Islington People’s Rights AGM 2017

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Tuesday 14 November 6.30pm at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA

The AGM of Islington People’s Rights is always an interesting and informative event, and is in many ways more of a public meeting.

This year, speakers confirmed to date, include; Cllr Richard Watts, Leader of Islington Council; Ken Kanu, Director of Help on your Doorstep; and Rachel Blackamore from the Natwest Skills and Opportunities Fund.

After the speakers and formal parts of the meeting there will be refreshments and a chance to mingle with trustees, staff, partners and clients. Please contact us if you have any special dietary requirements.

This event is taking place during an unprecedented period of welfare reforms. Islington People’s Rights is striving to ensure that vulnerable residents are able to access the specialist welfare benefits and debt advice that they need.

Free event, all welcome, but please register by 12 noon on the 10th November 2017 through https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/islington-peoples-rights-2017-agm-tickets-28688000582

London Legal Walk 2017 – completed!

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The IPR team successfully completed the London Legal Walk on Monday 22nd May 2017. This year IPR had a team of 9, made up of staff and trustees. They hope to raise even more than the £2437.88 raised in 2016. This sponsored 10km walk in central London is organised by The London Legal Support Trust, who work to support access to justice in London and the South East.

All the money raised by the IPR team goes direct to Islington People’s Rights to help us continue our vital work helping Islington’s most vulnerable residents. If you would like to make a donation, please visit: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/IPR2017

 

London Legal Walk 2017

by

IPR will be taking part in the London Legal Walk once again on Monday 22nd May 2017. This year we have an IPR team of 9, made up of staff and trustees, and hope to raise even more than the £2437.88 raised last year

The sponsored 10km walk in central London is organised by The London Legal Support Trust, who work to support access to justice in London and the South East.

All the money raised by the IPR team goes direct to Islington People’s Rights to help us continue our vital work helping Islington’s most vulnerable residents.

If you would like to donate, please visit the following link: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/IPR2017