Journey to Justice

JtoJ national team day and AGM November 5th 2016 at Bethnal Green Library

Representatives of ten JtoJ groups gathered for the morning from Newcastle, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, London, Nottingham, Hull, Bristol, Dorchester and Leicester to share stories about their JtoJ projects focused on what’s going well and the challenges. They had the opportunity to discuss questions about the local-national structure sent in advance, which will help determine the detail of our national model. It was the first time we were able to meet in this way and everyone agreed it was enjoyable and constructive and we should make it an annual event.

A banquet for lunch and refreshments all day were provided again by management committee member Pat Boyer and JtoJ volunteer Mary Campbell and featured prominently in the feedback.

JtoJ members arrived in time to hear a presentation by Girlz United, the Shadwell/Camberwell/Essex based youth groups who we worked with as part of our Tower Hamlets project. They spoke about the impact of their residential weekend with us and how they learned about each other’s lives and heritage. And they wowed the AGM with some of the searing poetry they wrote in response to researching the murder of Altab Ali and the Women Unite Against Racism campaign in the east end.

We were very sorry to lose Janet Browne who stepped down from the committee after three years as our creative, active, knowledgeable Vice Chair. Happily she stayed involved with the planning and delivery of our Tower Hamlets and Lambeth projects and as a member of JtoJ.  Mark Hutchinson decided not to stand as Chair this year, so that he can focus on Sheffield JtoJ. We are very pleased he’ll stay on the management committee and say a massive thank you Mark for being such an inspiring figurehead, excellent spokesperson and tremendous organiser for Journey to Justice.

Feedback

‘I actually can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it! It was so nice to see and meet the other groups and put faces to names.’

‘It was really exciting to meet everyone and find out more about Journey to Justice and its impact. It is such an exciting and essential project, and what a time to be doing this with everything that is happening in the world at the moment. Thank you for your help and support, it is really appreciated.’

 ‘It was wonderful being there, I had so many good chats and met lots of nice new people. Everyone is doing amazing things. I feel honoured to be part of it and to be contributing to it.’

‘I feel like I have a much better idea about Journey to Justice and what it does. It’s a really amazing organisation. Thank you for letting me be part of it.

‘The girls group were amazing. It’s at times like this (war, Brexit, Trump etc.) we need to be reminded that love and understanding is the dominant human force. ‘

‘The AGM was really interesting to see how much work and passion it takes to create such an effective organisation as Journey to Justice.’

‘It was fantastic being there on Saturday and learning all about the recent developments and things to come.  To think now about how much has been achieved and how far we have come.  It’s such an enriching and humbling project to be a part of.’