Help me fund Bar School

Hello, I'm Lewis, and I graduated from the University of Exeter with a 2.1 LLB in law. It has taken me just over 14 years since leaving secondary school to get here and it has not always been plain sailing. Losing our mum after a short battle with cancer, my brothers and I were placed into emergency housing. A survivor of child abuse at the hands of my mother's partner meant we could not stay in the family home. This meant having to leave college and work full-time. This is where adult life began. With only a handful of GCSEs, I worked at a local coffee house for a few years which allowed me time to process everything and work out my next plan.

In 2012, I accidentally fell into nannying, and for the last 11 years, I have been lucky enough to work for some truly inspirational families as a ‘manny’. Seeing the success of these families and observing their incredibly intelligent children inspired me to return to education. When I was financially able, I studied A levels part-time and it was a real pinch-me moment when I was offered a place to study law at the University of Exeter in 2020. The younger council house, state-educated Lewis would never have thought such a thing could be possible. I have continued to work throughout my undergraduate studies to support myself through this challenging degree, whilst navigating the lockdowns, academic scrutiny, imposter syndrome and being displaced due to the discovery of a WWII bomb!

The journey for aspiring barristers is incredibly competitive and challenging, especially for those from low-income backgrounds. The next part of this trajectory is to study the Bar Training Course and to my frustration, there is currently no government-funded financial support to cover the costs of the course, without adding a master's on top. I was unsuccessful in gaining scholarships with the Inns of Court, which means I will be self-funding the course, like so many others. The course alone costs £12,700. Adding the cost of accommodation on top of this means I will have to continue working alongside my studies. I have been encouraged to create this GoFundMe page, to tell my story and aspirations with the hope to raise some money towards the costs of the course and living expenses for the year.

I have secured a family pupillage commencing October 2024 which is arguably the most competitive part of this journey, and I was thrilled to get this in the final year of my degree. I hope to use the experiences I have gained over the years to help children and families in the South West. That's why I'm reaching out to you. I have four months to raise as much as I can. I recognise that times are tough for everyone right now, so even if you can't donate, simply sharing my fundraising page with your friends and colleagues would be hugely appreciated. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.

Forever grateful,

Lewis