Public legal education:
Improving lives, empowering communities

Welcome to issue no. 5 of the Public Legal Education Network newsletter.

In this issue:

• How to reach the hard to reach - Young Roma
• Better Information Training
• 'Advice Changes Lives'
• 60 Second Interview

How to reach the hard to reach - Young Roma

Young Roma Awareness Day networking

Plenet staff recently attended a young Roma Awareness Day organised by the Roma Support Group to celebrate the end of the Group's mentoring project with young people. The day was billed as an opportunity to explore the positive approaches that can be made to support young Roma, raise awareness of the impact of cultural issues and provide a forum for professionals to engage with young people.

For those interested in PLE the event offered a lively and useful template on how to reach the hard to reach. A number of key themes emerged from the presentations by academics, professionals and young Roma that can be applied to PLE projects aimed at marginalised and vulnerable groups.

One of the most striking and interesting issues was about underlying structures and ideologies that are used to define groups. For example, institutional racism and a history of exclusion means that simply assuming that the law is there ‘for them’ fails to approach legal systems in a critical way and has the effect of alienating groups.

Building trust and confidence is crucial; both to make contact with vulnerable groups in the first place and then to enable them to engage with and make use of legal information and services.

The point that came across repeatedly throughout the day is PLE will work particularly well as an integrated aspect of a holistic service which aims to tackle all the problems vulnerable groups experience.

Read more about the day in this article: How to reach the hard to reach - Young Roma

Better information

ASA’s Advicenow project has launched the Better Information website to help people producing and commissioning information for the public on everyday legal issues. Better Information

The Better Information team have also been working with the Directory of Social Change to design a brain-friendly training course for everybody involved in producing and commissioning information for the public – whether in a government body, an advice service, specialist charity, or a community organisation.

For a limited time only this course is being offered at half the normal price!

Just £60 +VAT for the Voluntary sector. £87.50 + VAT for Government departments, local authorities, or private practice.

The course will run from 10-5. They will be held in Central London. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Dates currently available:

October 27th
December 10th

There are only a few spaces left so please book early.

For more information, see Better Information Training

September 2009

60 second interview with Karen Kirkwood

Theatre ADAD uses interactive drama to engage young people at risk or excluded from mainstream education to promote personal and social responsibility and citizenship. Karen Kirkwood is their Artistic Director.

Karen Kirkwood
Karen's top tip for doing good PLE work

I believe the best learning takes place when someone is properly engaged and having fun, once engaged, real learning with longevity can take place.

Read the interview in full: 60 second interview with Karen Kirkwood

'Advice changes lives'

'Seven Steps to solving your problem', a leaflet published by Advicenow was selected to promote this year's Advice Week taking place week commencing 12th October.

Advice Week is part of the Working Together for Advice project funded by the Big Lottery and is dedicated to raising public awareness of the importance of advice.

Seven steps to solving your problem poster

Advicenow Guide

September 2009