The Advocacy Academy's stated mission is to "train young people to engage in collective action to improve their communities and tackle social issues that directly affect them.
[3] Viney had previously worked as a civil rights lobbyist in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. and as a researcher in Westminster, during which time she felt that young people were not represented or listened to enough by politicians.
[4][5] Young people in South London are able to apply for The Advocacy Academy's eight-month-long Fellowship,[6] which adds up to over 350 hours and consists of three residential retreats and weekly gatherings featuring visiting politicians, experts and activists.
[4] A group of graduates of The Advocacy Academy started developing a campaign in 2015 to address the shortage of affordable housing in their local area.
The posters were put up across the London transport network by another activist group, leading to press coverage and discussion of Legally Black's campaign.