Students provide invaluable contribution to social justice charity Micah

Final year undergraduate business and law students have applied their academic learning to real-world practice through a collaboration with university charity parter Micah.

Micah Liverpool is a social justice charity that runs projects to combat unemployment and poverty while also providing emergency food aid and affordable food to communities in the city region.

LJMU students have worked with the charity over the past year as part of the university’s pro bono services where students gain career-oriented experience working on real life business projects and legal cases.

It has been an absolute privilege to work with both groups of LJMU students at Micah Liverpool. They will be great assets wherever they go on to live and work.

Catherine Kearney, Chief Executive Officer Micah Liverpool

Weekly foodbank volunteering supports access to Legal Advice Centre

Law students have undertaken weekly volunteering sessions at Micah’s foodbank alongside their Legal Advice Clinic module.

While assisting at these sessions, students have spoken to members of the community in need of help and signposted them to relevant support pathways including through LJMU’s student-led Legal Advice Clinics. Many of the students involved are also multilingual and have been able to bridge language barriers for the charity, with much of this work coordinated by law student Diana Yousif.

Foodbank users in need of family law advice have been referred to the centre where LJMU students, guided by qualified solicitors, run clinics in which they conduct interviews with those seeking help. They then research and compile case files with advice and next steps for the clients.

Many law firms have targets for pro bono work in their practices, so this activity ensures LJMU law graduates are prepared to effectively carry out this work as they start their legal careers.

Alongside Diana, fellow final year law student Emma Nibloe led on coordinating the students’ volunteering activities, and said: “Studying law is very academic, everything you do is read, write, read, write, and it's on a loop constantly. You're absorbing all this information. So, to be able to then go out and not only get away from that aspect, but to do something good with local people and use the skills you’ve learnt - you're quite literally practising everything that you've done these three years for.”

She added: “The charity’s CEO Catherine and I are currently in talks about getting something a little bit more permanent in the food banks so that we can help more people through our Legal Advice Clinics moving forwards.”  

Mary Mullin, Solicitor and Principal Teaching Fellow at LJMU’s Legal Advice Centre, said: “LJMU can be very proud of the students who have embraced what can be a challenging experience and committed to the food bank on a weekly basis. They have reflected on their experience as part of their assessment, and it is great that they can take these new skills into their future roles and advocate for those less fortunate. It has been a great achievement by the students.”

The law students became such a key asset to our foodbank where we support people at moments of crisis where they require emergency food support. The students worked hard and got fully involved in the different tasks that need doing, initially shadowing our team of regular volunteers. Very soon they made suggestions as to how they could be of most use. They showed care, compassion, kindness alongside their expertise. They will be missed on Thursdays.

Catherine Kearney, Chief Executive Officer Micah Liverpool

LJMU was recently named Law School of the Year at the Educate North Awards.

Business Clinic consultancy project recommends innovative funding opportunities

In addition, a group of final year undergraduate business students have undertaken a business consultancy project with Micah as part of their final degree assessment.

The charity set the brief for the students to scope out proposals for a more financially sustainable operating model to enable them to generate income from creative new revenue streams, allowing them to in turn engage with more residents across Liverpool.

The students spent time with the charity to better understand their brief before undertaking research and applying strategy and tactics learnt over the course of their studies to develop an evidence-informed business plan.

Recommendations from the students included exploration of a monthly supporter’s membership and the targeting of further corporate partnerships across the hospitality, retail and small business sectors in the region.

Students working on the business project said: “It was really rewarding applying our learning in a practical setting. It was great to work with Micah, visiting their office to better understand the charity, its ethos and goals. It was an opportunity to learn to adapt in a new environment, away from university, and take on a different role and perspective. It was rewarding working with the team and a great experience for future working opportunities as we graduate.”

The business studies students very quickly grasped what Micah Liverpool does, as well as capturing its ethos. The students were efficient, professional, personable and came up with some fantastic suggestions in their business proposal which was recently discussed at a trustees' meeting. We'll definitely be using some of the ideas quite soon, which is the best plaudit I can give.

Catherine Kearney, Chief Executive Officer Micah Liverpool

LJMU’s Business Clinic team have worked across 10 different academic modules this year, working with students from their second year of study through to master’s level, providing them with project briefs and the opportunity to work with a live business. If you are interested in working with the Business Clinic at LJMU email the team (Natasha Sutton and Simon Montague) to discuss a project.