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FUNDING BOOST

PRESS RELEASE

13 May 2019

 Funding boost for local COMMUNITY legal centre

Central Coast Community Legal Centre received a funding boost earlier this month with the NSW Attorney General announcing an additional $115,000 for the Centre each year, over the next three years.

The funding will allow the Centre to continue to give vital support to those on the Coast who need legal help, but would otherwise be unable to access a lawyer’s services because of the cost.

Central Coast Community Legal centre offers a free, telephone-based legal information and advice service as well as outreach services at Wyong Local Court and local community locations including Mingaletta in Umina, Toukley Neighbourhood Centre, Yerin, Aboriginal Health Service in Wyong and Wyong Hospital (Mental Health Service).

Last year the Centre provided legal advice and assistance to more than 8,000 local people with legal problems including family and domestic violence, neighbourhood disputes, family law, employment and traffic offences.

CEO of Central Coast Community Legal Centre, Deb Macmillan said; “Our team helps people in our community who may otherwise slip through the cracks of the justice system.

“Our lawyers and legal support team and wonderful volunteers are passionate about helping vulnerable people. We recognise that the problems that people come to us with, aren’t always just about the law.

“We work with other community organisations across the Coast to make referrals or provide information about resources, to help people access the right network of support they need,” Deb continued.

Central Coast Community Legal Centre will use the additional funding to enhance their vital work and ensure that the Centre can reach even more vulnerable people on the Coast.

“We are delighted that the Attorney General’s announcement this week will see an increase of $1.86m in annual funding across the State’s 40 Community Legal Centres and services over next year,” said Deb

While the NSW sector is benefitting from an increase of $1.86 million from 2018-19 to 2020, 10 centres will sadly receive less funding in the redistribution.

There will be parts of NSW where vulnerable people will miss out on access to legal help when they need it,” she continued.

As well as state government funding, Central Coast Community Legal Centre also receives funding from the NSW Public Purpose Fund, Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.

PACE Program at CLC!

We are excited to welcome a new volunteer at the Central Coast Community Legal Centre in partnership with Macquarie University’s PACE program!

Isiah Thompson has been working hard at the CLC for the past three months with our amazing Aboriginal Worker, Bobbi Murray. Together they have been collaborating with firms from both Newcastle and Sydney on various projects within the community including the 2018 Wills Day and the upcoming Intellectual Property Day for local artists. Bobbi and Isiah have also undertaken some creative projects, creating promotional videos for these days as well as working on training modules in the form of cultural competency activities and videos.

The PACE program is a Community and Professional Engagement course aimed at giving undergraduate students experience in the legal profession. Isiah is about to complete his Bachelor of Law and Science and is in his final semester. He plans to apply for the College of Law in 2019 and will hopefully continue volunteering with the CCCLC as part of the required work experience for that as well. If you are an undergraduate student we urge you to contact us to find out about joining the team through your PACE or equivalent courses.

LAUNCH OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY PLAQUE

May 31 2018  we celebrated National Reconciliation Week with an afternoon tea with our partner organisations and community. We also launched our Acknowledgement to Country building plaque.

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nrw2018

Help Us to Care for Community and Fight for Justice this EOFY!

Dear Friend

Make a tax deductible donation to us now and help your local community

Right now, hundreds of people in the Central Coast community are missing out on the help they need to solve a legal problem.

People living below the poverty line, people with a disability, people who have been evicted from their homes, or who’ve lost their jobs, been discriminated against or ripped off by an unscrupulous ‘friend’ or business.

Women with children fleeing domestic violence, Aboriginal families under pressure on all fronts, older people and people with poor English who face a bewildering and threatening legal system they can’t understand … and many more.

Unresolved legal problems have devastating consequences, leading to homelessness, unemployment, serious debt, relationship breakdowns and illness.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

At the Central Coast Community Legal Centre we believe everyone deserves equal access to justice. Each year our tiny, determined team of volunteers, interns and solicitors helps almost 6,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged people with free, accessible advice and support at one of the most stressful and difficult times of their lives.

• 72% of our clients are living below the poverty line
• 32% are experiencing family violence
• 8% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

We do it on a shoestring budget and we do it because we care.

We are doing a fantastic job but we want to do more.

Watch our video – We Matter

Frankly, we are overwhelmed. Last year we had to turn away over 1700 people simply because we don’t have enough solicitors to provide timely assistance. That’s why we’re asking for your help today.

Will you make a tax-deductible donation before 30 June?

Our aim is to raise $5,000 to help an extra 100 people in 2017.

• Every $50 we raise means that we can help another vulnerable person here on the Central Coast.
• Just $50 means we can help a woman experiencing domestic violence to protect herself and her children.
• Just $50 means we can help a homeless person deal with their unpaid fines.
• Just $50 means that we can help an Aboriginal person experiencing race discrimination fight an unfair dismissal.

The more you can give us, the more people we can help.

All gifts will make a difference.   Click here to Donate with Give Now

The money we raise will go directly to help people in need right here on the Central Coast.

Thank you on behalf of the whole team here at Central Coast Community Legal Centre … and all of the people we help.

Deborah Macmillan

Executive Officer

Central Coast CLC in the news!

NBN news visited the Central Coast CLC office in Wyong to gauge our reaction to the Federal Budget.

See the video here.