Volunteers

Jahura Begum – Volunteers’ Buddy

JtoJ is delighted to welcome Jahura as our volunteer Buddy for London volunteers.

My role at JtoJ? I joined JtoJ in September 2019 and I have loved every minute of it! I am currently supporting on the Economic Injustice Project, and have recently taken on the role as the London JtoJ Volunteer Buddy.
Why did you get involved with JtoJ? My current job in the private sector as an Anti-Financial Crime practitioner allows me to tackle social injustices (somewhat indirectly) at a macro level, but I wanted to do more and to expand my knowledge and understanding of how we can tackle human rights issues and social injustices at a local/micro level – and just like that I found myself here with JtoJ.
Are there any highlights? The people – always the people! Volunteering with JtoJ, I feel like I am continually learning and it’s never boring – from the nuances of the civil rights movement, to the range of different charities and networks out there.
Would you recommend other people get involved in volunteering for JtoJ? Without a doubt yes! There’s no time like the present – we are all a part of something bigger and we all have a role to play in shaping a better community/society with our own unique stories. So why not now?

Tania Aubeelack

Tania found Journey to Justice thanks to good fortune for us. In the summer of 2016 her father took a flyer from young people who were promoting our work as part of their NCS (National Citizen Service) project in Wood Green High Street. He passed it to Tania who has been a most dedicated volunteer with us ever since. Her activities with JtoJ include: organising two music fundraising events which introduced us to many talented performers; running training workshops in schools, colleges and community settings in order to embed our approach in their work; briefing JtoJ volunteers in Bristol; co-ordinating PR; speaking at events and inspiring and recruiting new members. Tania was our superb Coordinator for London volunteers in 2018, supporting, developing and managing their time with us. In 2020 she became a Journey to Justice trustee.

Tania was also a volunteer with Diabetes UK and Shelter and continues to volunteer with On the Record, participating with oral history projects.

Hana Bellin, JtoJ Intern, February – April 2018

Hana was an intern with JtoJ for three months in 2018 when she was a student at California State University Fullerton as part of her time in the UK with AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study). She majored in American Studies with a particular interest in social justice. Hana volunteered in community service projects in the Dominican Republic, Peru and Costa Rica and taught in a Jewish-Arab school, Project Harmony, in Israel. She worked with JtoJ in a number of ways including writing blogs, planning our social media for the Newham JtoJ Music and Freedom Project, advising on our website content, interviewing volunteers and helping at events and with our travelling exhibition at Beckton Globe Library. Thank you Hana.

Read Hana’s blogs about her time in the UK
You may say I’m a dreamer…
An American in London
Train of Thoughts
Hello, Goodbye London

HanaBellin

Meet six of our volunteers talking about their work with JtoJ

With thanks to Claire McLoughlin for the interviews and write-ups.

JtoJ volunteer Livia di Benetto ran a series of workshops about refugees and asylum seekers.

The second workshop, The Journey and Its Challenges focused on the journey they are forced to make in order to find safety. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution” but why is it so difficult in practice? Why is the irregular way to enter a country used more often than the regular way? What are the legal options? Why do some states build walls rather than bridges? We will try to answer these questions and others with activities, debate and presentations. Please email: dibenedetto.livia92@gmail.com

JtoJ win a whatCharity prize!

Thanks to the generosity of whatCharity, JtoJ won a £200 prize for staff recreation.

We don’t have staff but we have the most dedicated volunteers anyone could wish for.

Three of them, Tania Aubeelack, Arianna Assnaelli &Richard Scott went to Liverpool for the weekend with JtoJ Chair Martin Spafford in March 2019 to see our exhibition and that mighty city. See their photos below and one of Olive Supple-Still, JtoJ volunteer, who’s a student in Liverpool, with our exhibition poster.

‘I really enjoyed my trip to Liverpool with my friends. We went to an Irish pub on the eve of St Patrick’s Day with amazing Irish music and singers and saw the St Patrick’s Day parade the following day. The International Slavery Museum was so impressive and accessible to read and understand. Finally, the highlight for me has to be visiting Anfield, Liverpool FC’s stadium and the Liverpool FC museum with the Steven Gerrard collection. Wow! What a fabulous city with some incredible vibes and people!’ (Tania)

JtoJ London Volunteers’ picnic, July 8th 2018, Bethnal Green Garden

Tania Aubeelack, JtoJ London Volunteer Coordinator and Pat Boyer, JtoJ Secretary very generously organised a most splendid picnic to thank our brilliant volunteers who make such a difference, helping with research, PR, planning events and workshops, fundraising, taking photos, evaluation, newsletters, delivering training, being on duty at the exhibition and much more. The picnic was a chance to relax and catch up and enjoy the delicious spread. Massive thanks everyone.