Our vision is simple: we want all Europeans and their families to understand their immigration status in the UK, and we want citizens who need access to legal advice to get it – for free.

Here for Good was founded by Tahmid Chowdhury and Isabella Mosselmans, at the time two young law graduates who wanted to stand up for citizens' rights. After Brexit, Tahmid and Isabella were concerned that the rights of EU citizens were being forgotten. As it became clear that the government wasn't going to prioritise giving EU citizens security, they set out to do it themselves. 

 

In July 2016, Tahmid co-founded The People's Challenge, a campaign group established to challenge the Government’s stance that Article 50 could be triggered without Parliament's approval. Following victory in the Supreme Court, the group continued extensive lobbying work on citizens' rights.

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Here for Good was born from this vital work to bring about more immediate social impact on citizens' lives. Isabella, who had been nominated one of the LSE’s top 20 inspirational women in 2015, had experience in running her own charitable project, sat on the Policy and Programmes Committee for a leading UK NGO, and was embarking on a career in immigration law. This, combined with her understanding of frontline pro-bono legal advice and unrivaled passion for social justice, made her a perfect fit for the charity. 

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With the support of two partners at Bindmans LLP, Here for Good’s business model was developed in the summer of 2017, before the charity was officially founded in February 2018. Alongside their fellow founding trustees, Tahmid and Isabella set out to ensure their idea became a reality. 

In the last five years, 

• We have successfully supported thousands to secure their immigration status in the UK through our advice service and pro bono network of lawyers, and impacted tens of thousands more through our strategic litigation work. 

• With the support of top-tier immigration law firms, we produced an up-to-date, free immigration advice guide - ACT NOW. It was arguably one of the most accessible and accurate sources for European citizens on their residency rights in the UK and has been used by over 30,000 citizens. 

• We delivered a training programme, commissioned by the Greater London Authority (‘GLA’), to increase capacity in the immigration advice sector to help vulnerable groups apply under the EU Settlement Scheme. 

• We collaborated with the GLA and the European Commission to map advice and services provision for Europeans in London and across the UK, so they can identify free providers. These platforms have been accessed by millions of people. 

• Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we conducted outreach events in places with a high footfall, such as shopping centres, high streets and markets to ensure that our network of lawyers reached as many citizens in need of free advice as possible.