Wolverhampton Windrush Justice centre to launch inspired by local campaigner
A new advice service is set to offer members of the Windrush generation from across the Black Country a helping hand.
The Windrush Justice Clinic Service in Bank Street, Bilston, will focus on those who need assistance completing the Windrush Compensation Scheme Forms and to help people who are undocumented to obtain documents that legitimise their immigration status.
The project was inspired by the death of Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson, who lived and worked in Wolverhampton and had campaigned to see the end of what was regarded as the Home Office’s “Hostile Environment”.
The service will launch on Monday and is the product of a campaign by local solicitor Maureen Mitchell and social activist Dr Patrick Vernon OBE.
A team of professional volunteers from law firms in the region are helping to set up and run the organisation and the law centre at Wolverhampton University will help to triage clients from the Windrush Generation.
The service has already made connections with the Windrush National Organisation and other Windrush activist and lawyers organisations across the UK.
Spokesman Maureen Mitchell said the service was needed for people in the region who had suffered from the Windrush Scandal.
She said: “Many of our service users have difficulty with accessing help with legal issues, sometimes because of their vulnerability or lack of trust, but mainly because of the high costs associated with defending their claims.
"We aim to be a service that people from our community can trust to provide them with professional reliable and quality service."
Natalie Barnes, the daughter of Paulette Wilson, said she hoped the service could provide the type of support that helps victims still suffering from the scandal.
She added: "It is the kind of service that my late mother would benefit from especially those in the community in Wolverhampton and the Black Country area."
Dr Vernon added: "The late Paulette Wilson and many others have still been let down by the Home Office despite recent changes to improve the compensation scheme.
"Access to legal assistance is still a major barrier and this new Windrush service is an important step forward in campaigning for justice for the Windrush Generation in Wolverhampton and the Black Country"
The launch takes place on Monday at 7pm at 58 Bank Street in Bilston.
It can also be seen on Zoom. The Meeting ID is 202 889 7998 and the passcode is 19xcin.
