Get Caitlin to Law School!
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Hi!
Welcome to my crowdfunding page and thank you for taking the time to hear my story and considering supporting me.
TLDR:
I believe people should be able to have recourse to the law to be able to defend their right to housing and the urban environment, no matter their background and economic strength. My contribution to help achieve this has been my engagement with communities at the grass-roots level, organizing protests to hold public bodies to account, and defend the right to housing in London for everyone, using my knowledge of the urban planning system. Although this effort has been successful, I want to continue to provide better and more effective support to communities and organizations working at the grass-roots level by ultimately training as a Public Law barrister so I can use the law to provide specialist legal assistance and to ensure that everyone has recourse to legal aid, not just the few who have the resources to pay for it. However, since Graduate Diploma of Law students don't have access to Master's Loans, I have run into the first barrier to achieving my objective of effecting change, which is the financial barrier to completing further education - and I need your help to overcome this!
My Situation:
I have been offered a place to study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), at City University of London, commencing at the end of September 2020. Unfortunately, financial access to this course poses a challenge to me, as being a diploma course, prospective students are unable to qualify for the UK Government Postgraduate Master's Loan. Students are, therefore, required to entirely self-fund their studies and their living costs. While I have been working hard since my graduation from UCL in 2019 to save for this purpose, I still have a significant funding shortfall. The GDL course fees at City University of London are £11,750 and my budgeted living costs for the year in London are £8000 (£1000 a month, including rent, bills, food and transport costs). My ambition to pursue a career at the Bar and complete the first step of legal training (the GDL) is underpinned by my desire to use the opportunities my life has afforded me to help those that are less fortunate, to practice Public Law, to hold public bodies and governments to account for their failings. In order to take up my place at the City University of London and pursue law as a viable career option, I need support from my peers and strangers to help me raise money to cover living costs and other expenses incurred in completing this course! If you'd be willing to buy a girl a London pint then please, please send that £5 my way!
Me at my UCL graduation, receiving the Bartlett Faculty Award on stage.
Why I want to go into law:
I am a First Class Honours student of Urban Studies from University College London, and have since been working three jobs part-time and volunteering with Southwark Law Centre and the 35% Campaign. My work at the law centre was focused on providing legal assistance to underrepresented communities as well as working in conjunction with the council and local activists to expand the consultation of BAME residents and workers in Southwark. I also started a newsletter on the Old Kent Road, an area in South East London, undergoing vast regeneration, to equip local traders and residents with the knowledge they need to fight for their rights amongst this developer-focused regeneration. I have volunteered for the 35% campaign for over a year, whose work hopes to redirect aggressive regeneration programs to benefit local southwark communities. Working with the group, I assisted the legal team in preparing a planning inquiry on behalf of local residents and activists. Our team ultimately won in this undertaking. I continue to write planning objections and carry out legal and policy research. I am also part of Southwark Defend Council Housing to demand requisition of empty council houses to provide long-term secure tenancies for those impacted by the pandemic. All these voluntary roles have given me unparalleled insight into the legal intricacies of activism and the efficacy of the law to seek justice for communities, spurring my desire to be a Public Law Barrister, to support grassroots movements and further social justice. As someone who is half Indian and half British, having lived in India for most of my life, I continue to advocate against the persecution of minorities. I ultimately intend to cross-qualify and fight for social justice in both of my home countries. It is more important now than ever that there are people trained to advocate against the structural inequalities faced by minorities in both countries. Your help however big or small would go a long way towards assisting one aspiring barrister to fill this increasing gap in representation!
The banner I made (and me in the black and at the back right) for a socially-distanced protest with Southwark Defend Council Housing.
Course Cost, Scholarships, Shortfall:
There are huge financial barriers for most students when it comes to studying law. These barriers have become more glaringly obvious than ever with the pandemic. The Secret Barristeris a great blog to see these barriers exposed. Facing my first financial barrier to a legal career, I spent months applying for scholarships and was successful! I had proven myself to be a worthy student, worthy to access what's seen as an increasingly inaccessible field "the law", but wasn't provided any funding whatsoever to cover basic living costs. From Middle Temple Inn, I was awarded the 'Queen Mother Scholarship' given to "the most all-round impressive candidates", totaling £8,000, and from the City University of London I was awarded the 'Scholarship for Academic Excellence', totaling £2,000. Therefore, although very generous, the scholarships fail to cover even the full cost of tuition and leaves a whole year's cost of living in London in the balance. I am able to cover the shortfall of £1,750 on the academic fees with savings from my earnings over the last 5 years. Since graduating from UCL, I have worked, and continue to work, two part-time jobs and have continued to do so during the pandemic, to raise as much money as possible before the start of the course. However, as my savings have gone towards my course fees, I need your help to raise money to cover my living costs for the duration of the course!
I will also be posting updates of my journey at City and my funding journey! Thank you so much to everyone that has read this post all the way through and for your kindness and generosity!! In addition to this gofundme, I plan to continue applying to any scholarships I find (however I haven't come across any more) and to the Middle Temple Inn Hardship fund (as my income has been drastically affected by the pandemic) to raise money. Additionally, I will be posting a budget sheet that I update with overall incomings and outgoings to keep everyone updated. I understand there are lots of worthy causes on Go Fund Me and did not want to be in this position of relying on the generosity of friends and strangers however, anything you can spare would be amazing!
Further Awards and Prizes I have received:
The Bartlett Faculty Award 2019 for commitment to inclusivity, diversity and equality and high academic achievement, awarded to one student across the Bartlett Faculty (over 600 students).
The Bartlett School of Planning Departmental Prize (2019) for outstanding academic achievement (an overall grade of 76 in third year).
Donations
A share on social media - will get me a wee bit closer to my goal!
You will get my eternal gratitude
£5 - would cover the cost of two coffees a day!
You will get my eternal gratitude
£10 - 50 - would cover the cost of food for a week!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
£50- 100 - would cover the cost of food for two weeks!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get a PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
£ 100- 250 - would cover the cost of bills for a month or two!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
£250-500 - would contribute to the cost of rent and bills!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
You will get a printed film picture that I took on my last trip back home to India, posted to you
£500-1,000 - would cover the cost of rent for a month, or two!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
You will get a printed film picture that I took on my last trip back home to India, posted to you
Welcome to my crowdfunding page and thank you for taking the time to hear my story and considering supporting me.
TLDR:
I believe people should be able to have recourse to the law to be able to defend their right to housing and the urban environment, no matter their background and economic strength. My contribution to help achieve this has been my engagement with communities at the grass-roots level, organizing protests to hold public bodies to account, and defend the right to housing in London for everyone, using my knowledge of the urban planning system. Although this effort has been successful, I want to continue to provide better and more effective support to communities and organizations working at the grass-roots level by ultimately training as a Public Law barrister so I can use the law to provide specialist legal assistance and to ensure that everyone has recourse to legal aid, not just the few who have the resources to pay for it. However, since Graduate Diploma of Law students don't have access to Master's Loans, I have run into the first barrier to achieving my objective of effecting change, which is the financial barrier to completing further education - and I need your help to overcome this!
My Situation:
I have been offered a place to study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), at City University of London, commencing at the end of September 2020. Unfortunately, financial access to this course poses a challenge to me, as being a diploma course, prospective students are unable to qualify for the UK Government Postgraduate Master's Loan. Students are, therefore, required to entirely self-fund their studies and their living costs. While I have been working hard since my graduation from UCL in 2019 to save for this purpose, I still have a significant funding shortfall. The GDL course fees at City University of London are £11,750 and my budgeted living costs for the year in London are £8000 (£1000 a month, including rent, bills, food and transport costs). My ambition to pursue a career at the Bar and complete the first step of legal training (the GDL) is underpinned by my desire to use the opportunities my life has afforded me to help those that are less fortunate, to practice Public Law, to hold public bodies and governments to account for their failings. In order to take up my place at the City University of London and pursue law as a viable career option, I need support from my peers and strangers to help me raise money to cover living costs and other expenses incurred in completing this course! If you'd be willing to buy a girl a London pint then please, please send that £5 my way!
Me at my UCL graduation, receiving the Bartlett Faculty Award on stage. Why I want to go into law:
I am a First Class Honours student of Urban Studies from University College London, and have since been working three jobs part-time and volunteering with Southwark Law Centre and the 35% Campaign. My work at the law centre was focused on providing legal assistance to underrepresented communities as well as working in conjunction with the council and local activists to expand the consultation of BAME residents and workers in Southwark. I also started a newsletter on the Old Kent Road, an area in South East London, undergoing vast regeneration, to equip local traders and residents with the knowledge they need to fight for their rights amongst this developer-focused regeneration. I have volunteered for the 35% campaign for over a year, whose work hopes to redirect aggressive regeneration programs to benefit local southwark communities. Working with the group, I assisted the legal team in preparing a planning inquiry on behalf of local residents and activists. Our team ultimately won in this undertaking. I continue to write planning objections and carry out legal and policy research. I am also part of Southwark Defend Council Housing to demand requisition of empty council houses to provide long-term secure tenancies for those impacted by the pandemic. All these voluntary roles have given me unparalleled insight into the legal intricacies of activism and the efficacy of the law to seek justice for communities, spurring my desire to be a Public Law Barrister, to support grassroots movements and further social justice. As someone who is half Indian and half British, having lived in India for most of my life, I continue to advocate against the persecution of minorities. I ultimately intend to cross-qualify and fight for social justice in both of my home countries. It is more important now than ever that there are people trained to advocate against the structural inequalities faced by minorities in both countries. Your help however big or small would go a long way towards assisting one aspiring barrister to fill this increasing gap in representation!
The banner I made (and me in the black and at the back right) for a socially-distanced protest with Southwark Defend Council Housing.Course Cost, Scholarships, Shortfall:
There are huge financial barriers for most students when it comes to studying law. These barriers have become more glaringly obvious than ever with the pandemic. The Secret Barristeris a great blog to see these barriers exposed. Facing my first financial barrier to a legal career, I spent months applying for scholarships and was successful! I had proven myself to be a worthy student, worthy to access what's seen as an increasingly inaccessible field "the law", but wasn't provided any funding whatsoever to cover basic living costs. From Middle Temple Inn, I was awarded the 'Queen Mother Scholarship' given to "the most all-round impressive candidates", totaling £8,000, and from the City University of London I was awarded the 'Scholarship for Academic Excellence', totaling £2,000. Therefore, although very generous, the scholarships fail to cover even the full cost of tuition and leaves a whole year's cost of living in London in the balance. I am able to cover the shortfall of £1,750 on the academic fees with savings from my earnings over the last 5 years. Since graduating from UCL, I have worked, and continue to work, two part-time jobs and have continued to do so during the pandemic, to raise as much money as possible before the start of the course. However, as my savings have gone towards my course fees, I need your help to raise money to cover my living costs for the duration of the course!
I will also be posting updates of my journey at City and my funding journey! Thank you so much to everyone that has read this post all the way through and for your kindness and generosity!! In addition to this gofundme, I plan to continue applying to any scholarships I find (however I haven't come across any more) and to the Middle Temple Inn Hardship fund (as my income has been drastically affected by the pandemic) to raise money. Additionally, I will be posting a budget sheet that I update with overall incomings and outgoings to keep everyone updated. I understand there are lots of worthy causes on Go Fund Me and did not want to be in this position of relying on the generosity of friends and strangers however, anything you can spare would be amazing!
Further Awards and Prizes I have received:
The Bartlett Faculty Award 2019 for commitment to inclusivity, diversity and equality and high academic achievement, awarded to one student across the Bartlett Faculty (over 600 students).
The Bartlett School of Planning Departmental Prize (2019) for outstanding academic achievement (an overall grade of 76 in third year).
Donations
A share on social media - will get me a wee bit closer to my goal!
You will get my eternal gratitude
£5 - would cover the cost of two coffees a day!
You will get my eternal gratitude
£10 - 50 - would cover the cost of food for a week!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
£50- 100 - would cover the cost of food for two weeks!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get a PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
£ 100- 250 - would cover the cost of bills for a month or two!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
£250-500 - would contribute to the cost of rent and bills!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
You will get a printed film picture that I took on my last trip back home to India, posted to you
£500-1,000 - would cover the cost of rent for a month, or two!
You will get my eternal gratitude
You will get a personalised message from me to thank you for you kindness
You will get two PDF version of film pictures I took on my last trip back home to India
You will get a printed film picture that I took on my last trip back home to India, posted to you
Organizer
Caitlin Colquhoun
Organizer