Empowering Justice Leaders: Just Love’s Impact & Growth

September 2025 update

At the Charles Plater Trust, we are committed to fostering initiatives that empower individuals and communities to create positive change. Through our funding, we have empowered Just Love, a dynamic organisation dedicated to training and inspiring young university students to become leaders in justice and social action. Our grant has helped Just Love expand its reach, deepen its impact, and equip a new generation of students with the skills and determination to make a real difference in their communities.

Transforming Lives Through Training

Just Love’s Autumn Training (JLAT) and Easter Training (JLET) events are central to their mission. These gatherings provide students with the opportunity to explore the intersection of faith and justice, develop leadership skills, and connect with like-minded peers. The training is designed to be both practical and inspiring, helping students to understand how they can contribute to a more just society—whether through local volunteering, campaigning, or community-building.

This year, Just Love introduced innovative elements to their training, including a "partner space" where students could engage directly with speakers and organisations. This addition allowed participants to ask questions, share ideas, and learn about opportunities to get involved in justice initiatives beyond the training. By creating a more spacious and reflective timetable, Just Love ensured that students had the time to absorb new ideas, build relationships, and leave feeling empowered to take action.

JLAT 2025: A Resounding Success

The recent Just Love Autumn Training (JLAT 2025), held in Sheffield, brought together 41 students from 10 university cities. The event received outstanding feedback, with 96.1% of students rating it as "good" or "excellent". Innovations such as extended partner spaces, prayer slots, and creative consultations enriched the experience, fostering deeper engagement and reflection.

Key Highlights:

• Partner Space: Students engaged with speakers and organisations, gaining wisdom and exploring ways to support justice initiatives.

• Prayer Ministry: The House of Prayer in Sheffield provided dedicated prayer slots, which were so popular that additional team members were brought in to meet demand.

• Creative Consultation: A new reflective session allowed students to process their learnings and envision their next steps in pursuing justice.

Stories of Impact

The true measure of Just Love’s success lies in the experiences of its participants. Here’s what some students had to say about their time at the training:

• "I felt super supported and encouraged to develop my own justice journey."

• "It was a perfect balance of input, space for rest and reflection, challenge, prayer, worship, and fellowship."

• "The sessions really equipped me for the year to come and developed invaluable lifelong skills."

• "I learned how to use money well and how lament is a valuable and valid way of praying."

• "I left feeling equipped and excited to continue pursuing justice in my community."

These testimonials highlight the transformative power of Just Love’s work. By focusing on theological grounding, personal conviction, and practical action, the programme inspires students to become lifelong advocates for justice.

Impact by the Numbers

• 132 students attended JLAT 2024, JLET 2025, and JLAT 2025.

• 374 events were organised by trained students, with an aggregate attendance of over 3,750 people.

• £15,662 was raised for charities, and 1,359 hours of volunteering were dedicated to local causes.

• Students were equipped to tackle issues such as supporting rough sleepers, building inclusive communities, and advocating for refugee rights.

Join Us in Making a Difference

The work of Just Love demonstrates the powerful impact of investing in young leaders who are passionate about justice and social change. To learn more about Just Love and how you can support or get involved in their inspiring work, visit Just Love’s website.

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