Over the next year Brixton Advice Centre will be collaborating with James Hopkirk, an experienced writer and photographer who has also previously worked with ITV, MTV and the Sunday Times

“I believe that most people in the UK simply do not realise how hard things have become for the most vulnerable members of our society, and how little support now exists to help them.

I want to raise awareness of the problems people in Lambeth are facing, especially as a result of cuts to benefits and the continuing loss of state-funded services.

I am very pleased that Brixton Advice Centre – a legal advice centre at the frontline of dealing with the effects of these cuts – has agreed to open its doors to allow me tell the real stories of the people in Lambeth trying to get by and the advisers trying to help them.”  James Hopkirk

As well as documenting the work of the Centre and providing a valuable insight into how a legal advice centre works, James will be taking photographs and recording interviews with some of its clients. He wants to highlight the impact of the Centre’s advice and advocacy work and, critically, tell the stories of the people who come through its doors.

The plan is to meet a range of people from all walks of life who pass through the Centre and who would be prepared to give him an insight into their lives and situations so that he can highlight what is really happening in Lambeth, an area that is home to both some of the wealthiest and poorest people in the UK. Ideally, he would like to get to know people over a period of time so that he can tell their stories in greater depth and on an ongoing basis

James’ work will be published on an ongoing basis here on the Brixton Advice Centre website and also on James’ own website. It will also form part of a Master’s Degree that James is studying at the London College of Communication and is part of a wider project he is working on looking at the impact of government cuts on people living in Lambeth

Commenting on the new project, Patrick Torsney, Director of Brixton Advice Centre said:

“We are very excited by this piece of work. It is not every day that a legal advice centre opens up and allows a photo-journalist of James’ calibre in to tell the real story: of the work it does, the wide range of people who use the Centre and the considerable benefits to the community and to wider society in tackling injustice. We are very much looking forward to working with James and seeing his project unfold over the coming months.” 

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