Since Sarah started volunteering back in 2016, the one thing that hasn’t changed is asking the simple question “how can we help you today?”. Sarah offers her reflections on the journey from our early days as the Personal Support Unit – tucked into two small rooms at the Royal Courts of Justice – to the nationwide service we are today.
When I first started volunteering with Support Through Court back in 2016, we were
called the Personal Support Unit. We were all about helping and sharing – we shared two smallish rooms on the first floor of the Central Block in the Royal Courts of Justice, not far from the renowned Bear Garden. There was quite a buzz about those two rooms. We were there to help all those who had no knowledge of the court system but were facing it alone.
We were there to share our knowledge with them – even the route to the Fees office, the Masters’ Chambers, the Administrative office and the access lift for wheelchair users – we seemed to be the only people who knew. The people who came to us for help found our presence invaluable in navigating the court building. This can feel daunting for anyone, especially a person with no previous knowledge of or experience going to court, on their first visit.
View images of the Royal Courts of Justice:
And now – as Support through Court – we are still all about helping clients, sharing
knowledge with colleagues and helping ease someone’s day. Our clients are people who are trying to make sense of – and move forward with – something important in their lives. We, as volunteers, can help them do this. In supporting a client in court – from the pre-hearing chat and then walking into court alongside them – we know we make a difference. We are a physical and emotional prop, which is what is needed at this time. If the hearing has gone well, we can share their relief and good feelings. If it has not, we can help share and ease the disappointment.
Today, Support Through Court has grown far beyond the two smallish rooms in the Royal Courts of Justice to a nationwide service across twelve different locations, with volunteers offering support both in-person and now also online and over the phone.
Nonetheless, the first question to a client remains the same and is always – ‘how can we help you today?’.
And the feeling we all hope to have at the end of the day is that we have done something positive for our clients.
Interested in volunteering?
If you’re looking for a meaningful opportunity to give back and help people facing court alone, find out more below.
