Campaigns News

Thursday 27th February 2014 saw the second global “Student Engagement and Philanthropy Day” take place with over 100 universities worldwide getting involved.

Organised by CASE ASAP, the day was designed to encourage students around the world to get involved with philanthropy at their institutions and to start understanding its importance.

The University of Kent was one of only six universities in the UK to take part and the Kent Law Campaign Student Group took up the challenge with enthusiasm.  Having decided that they wanted to thank alumni and friends who have donated to the Kent Law Campaign, they came up with “Quackers About Fundraising”, a day where hundreds of yellow ducks were signed with thank you messages to our donors.

During the day a short video was filmed where our students expressed their thanks to those who have supported this important project.  This will be circulated to our donors as part of the University’s ongoing stewardship programme.

We would like to thank the Student Group for organising the day and to everybody who got involved.

Photographs from the “Quackers About Fundraising Day” are available online: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/media/set/?set=a.520604344725555.1073741874.251330424986283&type=3

On Sunday 16th February 2014, Emily Smith and Callum Borg, both Kent Law School students, ran the Brighton Half Marathon in just 2 hours 6 minutes to raise money for the Kent Law Campaign.

Now in its 24th year, the Brighton Half Marathon is a gruelling 13.1 mile course around the streets of Brighton and is deemed to be one of the most popular races in the national running calendar.  Emily, Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Group, and Callum decided to embrace this challenge to raise money for the Campaign and have so far raised in excess of £850 including Gift Aid and the University’s matched funding scheme.

Of the challenge, Emily said: “I’ve always been a fan of running to keep fit so decided to run a race for charity. As a law student at the University of Kent, the Law Campaign is very close to my heart and any money that we raise from this fundraising will go towards building a new home for our beloved Law Clinic. When I crossed the finish line and received my medal with wobbly legs, I remembered how much I had raised and immediately forget about the pain and started celebrating!”

In conjunction with the Young Alumni Group, the Kent Law Campaign Student Group has raised over £40,000 to date through events such as law balls, quizzes, a 5km fun run, the Three Peaks Challenge and skydives.

If you would like to sponsor Emily and Callum, please visit their fundraising page. www.justgiving.com/emilycallum

It may only be February but the Kent Law Campaign Student Group’s Law Ball, which took place on Friday 24^th January, is already being described as the “Event of the Year”!  If you were not there, then you most certainly missed out!

Taking place at the Kent County Cricket Ground, over 270 students, staff, alumni and local legal professionals attended the event and were treated to live performances from several artists from the region.  These included Sabiyha from Croydon who has been ‘BBC Introduced’ on the BBC Asian Network, Luke Burr from Essex who recently came third in The Live and Unsigned Competition and won Essex’s Got Talent in 2010, Stroke of Luck, a five-piece indie rock band from Oxford who have previously supported Bastille and Electric Six and Alice Heggie, a singer-songwriter from the Corporate Events team at the University of Kent.

During the evening the Kent Law Campaign Student Group (KLCSG) presented a video about their experiences on the committee which was followed by a speech from the Chair of the Campaign Board, Professor Richard de Friend.

Once the ball was in full swing the Student Group introduced a surprise Twister tournament to raise further funds for the Kent Law Campaign!

Of the event the Chair of the KLCSG, Emily Smith, said: “The Law Ball has been a huge personal achievement for me. I began work on this event back in June 2013 and to see it come alive, seven months later, in the way that it did was fantastic. Our main aim for this year was to make sure there was a lot going on; and I think we achieved that. The most fabulous thing for me was seeing everyone dancing because that was the moment not only when I realised everyone was enjoying themselves, but also when I realised I could start to enjoy myself too!”

The evening was a huge success and enabled the KLCSG to raise a magnificent £6,100 for the Law Campaign.

Photos from the event are available on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/KentLawCampaign

The video made by the students is also available online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxA1t1oFDRc&feature=youtu.be

It is with great sadness that the Law School has learned of the death of Adrian Taylor on 11th January 2014 at the age of 79 after a short illness.

Adrian Taylor was a lecturer in law in the University of Kent from 1967 to 1977. He was the foremost pioneer of clinical legal education in the United Kingdom, and in 1973 became the founding Director of the Kent Law Clinic.

Having obtained two degrees, first in modern languages and then in law, at the University of Cambridge, he started his career as a law lecturer at the University of Hull, and from there developed his critique of the role of the lawyer in society and of the adequacy of the traditional university education of law students. At the heart of his pedagogical method was the understanding that a scholarly legal education could be, indeed should be, integrated with both an engagement with legal practice and an interdisciplinary approach to the study of law and society. In 1974 he was quoted in a national newspaper saying, ‘In a new university we must ask what we are here for. Students are not blotting paper; they must test what they are told through experience.’

The new Clinic, with solicitor Larry Grant working alongside Adrian Taylor and dozens of law students, assisted members of the public in over 1,000 cases within its first two and a half years, mainly in the fields of housing, welfare benefits, employment, consumer advice and mental health. At least three cases received national attention, especially one for patients in a local mental hospital.

Although the University withdrew support from the Clinic in 1976, law students and staff, inspired by the example that had been set, continued to provide pro bono legal support to local people through projects such as Canterbury Community Aid and Canterbury Employment Discrimination Clinic. In 1992 the Kent Law Clinic itself was relaunched, and received his staunch support. In March 2012 he gave a lecture on the history of clinical legal education to a rapt audience of Kent staff and students, and in June 2012 he was a guest speaker at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the 1970s foundation of the Clinic. In November 2013 as a Patron he attended, with his partner Yvette Gibson, the formal public launch in London of the Kent Law Campaign for funding for a new building for Law Clinic offices and a mooting chamber. The current staff of the Law Clinic found his guidance and encouragement in recent years to be inspirational, and will sorely miss him.

Adrian Taylor was born in Leeds and attended Roundhay Grammar School on a Senior City Scholarship, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge on a Wootton Isaacson Scholarship in Modern Languages, obtaining a BA in 1956 (MA 1960). After National Service in the Intelligence Corps in Germany, he became the manager of The Soup Kitchens in London, and then taught modern languages for two years in Lagos, Nigeria.

He returned to Cambridge in 1962 and obtained an LLB in 1964 (LLM 1966) winning the University Prize for Jurisprudence. He was a lecturer in law in the University of Hull from 1964 to 1967, and from 1967 to 1977 was a lecturer in law in the University of Kent. He was called to the Bar in 1977 and practised successfully until his retirement in 2000 at 5 Essex Court and 4 Brick Court, Middle Temple in the specialisms of housing, family, planning and professional negligence.

During his career as an academic he served on the General Committee and later the Council of the Society of Public Teachers of Law, and on the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education (the Ormrod Committee, which reported in 1971).

In 1964 he gave a paper ‘Functional Aspects of the Lawyer’s Concept of Justice’ at an interdisciplinary seminar of lawyers and anthropologists at the University of Edinburgh, which was published in Juridical Review 13 (1966-67). In 1966 he organised and convened a conference at Cambridge on ‘Law and the Social Sciences’. His introduction to the proceedings of that conference ‘The Concept of a Law Degree: Law and the Social Sciences’ was published in 9 Journal of the Society of Public Teachers of Law 328 (1966-67) .

In 1971 and 1972 he gave talks on clinical legal education at the Universities of Glasgow, Hull and St. Andrews. In 1972 he initiated clinical legal studies at the University of Kent, founded the Kent Law Clinic and established the journal PRAXIS. He was Director of the Law Clinic and editor of PRAXIS from 1973 to 1976.

The legacy of his writing and activity in these years may be seen in the wide network of university law clinics in the United Kingdom today.

The University of Kent officially launched the Kent Law Campaign to the public on Wednesday 6 November at a gala evening in London.

More than 150 alumni, friends, donors, staff and students of the University attended the event at 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), in the heart of London’s financial district, which was hosted by David Nightingale, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor.  In a packed and energised iconic building guests enjoyed outstanding and uninterrupted 360 degree panoramic views of London and beyond whilst supporting the important capital campaign for the Kent Law School.

The guest speakers included The Hon Charles Wigoder (major benefactor), David Nightingale (Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor), Professor Richard de Friend (Chair of the Campaign Board), Professor John Fitzpatrick (Director of the Kent Law Clinic), Sharlott Yum (current student) and Matthew Lawson (recent graduate).

The Campaign, which began in 2011 with the aim of raising £5 million by 2015, is a fundraising project to build a new home for the Kent Law Clinic, part of the Kent Law School. The Kent Law Clinic operates as a partnership between students, academics and practicing solicitors and barristers and provides a public pro bono service for people in the local community who need free legal advice and representation but cannot afford to pay for it. At the same time it enables students to gain experience of the law by working under supervision on cases for clients of the clinic.

The University has pledged to match each donation received pound for pound and to date £3.4 million has been raised with the University seeking the remaining amount over the next two years.

Work will begin next June on the building – which will also include a new mooting chamber – with a formal opening due during the University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2015.

At the launch, David Nightingale thanked all donors and in particular The Hon Charles Wigoder and Dr Kennedy Wong for their generous support of the Campaign, their transformational gifts making this build possible.

Professor John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Kent Law Clinic, said:  ‘This exciting new building for our Law Clinic will enable us to expand significantly our pro bono service to the public, which in turn will mean that more of our students will have the opportunity to learn about law through hands-on case work experience.

‘Our new mooting room will also enable students to hone their advocacy skills in a realistic courtroom environment.’

Professor Keith Mander, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, said: ‘This campaign has already been very successful with alumni and current students supporting the campaign through donations and fundraising activities.

‘As well as providing a very important pro bono service to the public, the Kent Law Clinic is a very important part of our law students’ positive experience here at the University. I am sure that the University community and its friends and stakeholders will respond positively to the public launch of the fundraising campaign.’

A selection of photographs taken on the evening can be viewed online – www.facebook.com/home.php#!/media/set/?set=a.465589916893665.1073741858.251330424986283&type=1

Support the Campaign
If you would like to support the Campaign by making a donation or volunteering your time to help our students, please contact Hilary Edridge, Head of Campaigns, Development Office, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent. CT2 7NZ
T: 07702 816016, E: H.A.Edridge@kent.ac.uk

The University has received a £1million donation – one of the biggest single gifts from an individual in its history – as part of its fundraising campaign to build a new home for its award-winning Kent Law Clinic.

Future generations of law students will benefit from the new building at the Canterbury campus when it opens in two years’ time – thanks to this gift from The Hon Charles Wigoder, a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Kent Law Clinic, which is part of the University’s Kent Law School, operates as a partnership between students, academics and practicing solicitors and barristers. It provides a public ‘pro bono’ service for people who need legal advice and representation but cannot afford to pay for it, while at the same time enabling students to gain experience of the law by working under supervision on cases for clients of the clinic.

Work is expected to begin next year on the new building – which will also include a new ‘mooting’ court – with a formal opening due during the University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2015.

Professor John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Kent Law Clinic, said: ‘Everyone connected with the Clinic is hugely grateful for this major donation to our fundraising campaign.

‘This exciting new building for our Law Clinic will enable us to expand significantly our pro bono service to the public, which in turn will mean that more of our students will have the opportunity to learn about law through hands-on case work experience.

‘Our new mooting room will also enable students to hone their advocacy skills in a realistic courtroom environment.’

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow said: ‘We are delighted that Charles Wigoder has chosen to make this very significant donation to support the University’s award-winning Kent Law Clinic.

‘As a highly successful alumnus of the University, it is very pleasing that Charles has chosen to support a project that will ensure many more of our law students are able to gain first-hand experience of case work, which will provide them with a real advantage when they graduate.’

Law students and alumni have also been raising money – via a series of recent sponsored events – to support the Kent Law Campaign’s target of £5 million for the new building. In June, a team of 16 students, alumni, staff and friends undertook the daunting Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds, while in May law student Hannah Bignell was sponsored to swim the equivalent of the length of the English Channel in a Canterbury leisure centre.

We are delighted to announce that the Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Group, Hannah Bignell, has been awarded the prestigious Chancellor’s Prize for her outstanding dedication to the Kent Law Campaign at the recent Employability Points Scheme Rewards Ceremony.

On Friday 31st May, the Employability Points Scheme held their annual rewards ceremony at the Colyer-Fergusson Music Hall on our Canterbury campus.  The event celebrated our students’ engagement in extracurricular activities which help them to stand out to prospective employers and was attended by many students, senior staff, corporate sponsors and friends of the University.

The Chancellor’s Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding engagement in a University initiative and was presented by the Chancellor of the University of Kent, Sir Robert Worcester, and Tomas Christodoulou from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Hannah has shown exceptional dedication to the Kent Law Campaign having established the Kent Law Campaign Student Group at the start of the academic year and represented the University’s student body at many high profile Campaign events.  She led her committee exceptionally well and raised over £7,500 for the Campaign during her tenure.

Of her achievement, Hannah said: “It was an absolute honour just to be nominated for the Chancellor’s Prize and I never thought I would actually win! It meant so much to have such significant recognition of all the work I have done this year. Such a fantastic end to my time at the University of Kent.”

The Kent Law Campaign would like to congratulate Hannah on being awarded this prestigious prize and thank her for her commitment to the Campaign over the past year.

For more information about the Employability Points Scheme, please visit our website: www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints/

A law student at the University of Kent is set to swim the equivalent of the length of the English Channel to raise funds for new law school facilities.

Hannah Bignell, a final year undergraduate at the University’s Kent Law School, will aim to raise £500 by swimming 142 laps (2.2miles) every day for ten days at Canterbury’s Kingsmead Leisure Centre.  Money raised will go towards the Kent Law Campaign, a £5million fundraising project to build a new home for the University’s Kent Law Clinic and the law school’s mooting programme.

Hannah, aged 21, who is the Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Committee, will begin her swim today (22 May) at 7.00am.

Hannah said: ‘I have been the Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Committee this academic year and have decided to leave the University on a splash by raising money for this fantastic cause.  I am delighted to be part of this Campaign as I believe the project presents amazing opportunities that will benefit everyone who gets involved; students, colleagues and the community.

‘The Clinic is an asset, not only to the University of Kent, but to society and it gives students first-hand experiences of what law is like in reality. The mooting programme allows individuals to develop and enhance their advocacy skills. The result of this project will allow these invaluable experiences to expand and grow.  I know this challenge is pretty crazy and definitely going to be tough but I will definitely keep on swimming.’

Anna Pollard, University Campaigns Manager, said: ‘Hannah is setting herself a tremendous target but I’m sure she will achieve it and wish her well for the exciting challenge ahead of her.’

The Kent Law Clinic sees the University’s students and academics working in partnership with solicitors and barristers in practice locally. It has two objectives: to provide a public service for local people who need legal advice and representation but cannot afford to pay for it; and to enhance the education of Kent Law School students through direct experience of legal practice.

To sponsor Hannah please see: www.justgiving.com/Hannah-Bignell