The Fitzroy Legal Service established the Save our Friday campaign due to cuts to Commonwealth funding that were to take effect on 1st July 2017.
The Fitzroy Legal Service was set to lose approximately $40,000 as a result of these funding cuts.
On Monday 24 April 2017, the Commonwealth Government announced a decision to reverse the impending funding cuts to Community Legal Centres nationally. We welcome this.
HOWEVER, it is still UNCLEAR whether Fitzroy Legal Service will receive ANY of this additional funding and if we do, whether this new funding will be directed towards specific services.
THEREFORE, we have decided that it is prudent to plan for the worst case scenario and continue the Save Our Friday Campaign to raise $40,000 by 30 June 2017.
We have initially set our Pozible Campaign Goal to $10,000 because this is an ‘all-or-nothing’ campaign.
SHOULD Fitzroy Legal Service receive some of the new funding announced on 24 April AND this funding is able to be directed towards the free evening legal advice service, we have identified a number of important projects to use the funds raised in the Save Our Friday Campaign (in order of priority):
You CAN make a difference! Every dollar counts, whether it’s $2, $10, $100 or more!
Picture L-R: Fitzroy Legal Service Staff: Natasha Wolan, Adam Willson, Ella Crotty, Julie Fletcher, Melissa Chen, Tori Diamond, Emily Buchanan, Serge Sztrajt, Jess Porter.
The Commonwealth Government announcement on Monday 24 April 2017 commits $39 million of the $200 million recommended by the Productivity Commission (Access to Justice Arrangements Report, December 2014). Commonwealth Attorney General, Senator George Brandis, has indicated that funding should be spent on Family Violence services.
At this stage, Fitzroy Legal Service HAS NOT BEEN TOLD if it will receive any additional funding AND/OR whether this new funding will be directed to specific services.
As soon as we know the status of our new funding arrangements we will write to our Save Our Friday campaign and existing supporters.
In 2015/2016 Fitzroy Legal Service assisted 3,625 clients in the Free Legal Night Service.
Reducing services will severely impact people’s access to justice.
Currently, around 15 people a day or about 3,500 people a year access the night service.
Reducing services will mean that hundreds, potentially thousands, will miss out on vital legal assistance services each year.
Fitzroy Legal Service runs a FREE, drop-in legal advice service that is funded by Commonwealth, State and Local Governments.
It is held every weeknight from 6.30 p.m. (except on public holidays and during the Christmas/New Year period).
We can provide legal advice in most areas of law. We also have access to interpreters.
The Night Service is staffed by a Night Service Manager (Monday to Thursday), Night Service Coordinator (Friday) and Volunteer Coordinator, whose roles are in jeopardy due to the Commonwealth Funding cuts.
Around 250 volunteer lawyers and law students selflessly give their time to provide the legal assistance offered through the Free Legal Service.
We run four appointment based legal advice clinics as part of the night service:
1. Animal Law Clinic
2. Family Law Clinic
3. LGBTIQ Legal Advice Service
4. North Richmond Outreach Clinic
The legal advice we provide includes advice and information about the law that applies to particular cases or situations. Our volunteer lawyers include a discussion of people’s values and goals and then provide recommendations about how best to achieve them. They can also draft a letter and in some circumstances can draft court or tribunal documents.
For more informaton, visit: www.fitzroy-legal.org.au
Please:
Every dollar counts, whether it’s $2, $10, $100 or more
Established in December 1972, Fitzroy Legal Service is one of the longest running Community Legal Centres in Australia, delivering much need legal assistance services to vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians for the past 45 years.
Our Vision is ‘to be an independent and influential voice that empowers and strengthens the community through access to legal services, education, information and law reform activities’.
When we opened our doors, we became Australia’s first non-Aboriginal community legal centre. Located in the basement of the Fitzroy Town Hall, in what was then one of the poorest suburbs of Melbourne, this new legal service set out to do the unthinkable: provide free legal advice to all comers.
In the beginning it was run entirely by volunteers, only later acquiring paid staff.
To this day, we rely on an extensive body of volunteers to run our free legal advice services and assist in the running of many of our other programs.
Visit www.fitzroy-legal.org.au to learn more.
Where will the money go?
SHOULD Fitzroy Legal Service receive some of the new funding announced on 24 April AND this funding is able to be directed towards the free evening legal advice service, we have identified a number of other important projects to use the funds raised in the Save Our Friday Campaign (in priority order):
If we raise more funds, they will first go towards further sustaining year on year service delivery and potentially allowing an expansion of services to meet growing community need.
Please:
Every dollar counts, whether it’s $2, $10, $100 or more!
If you believe everyone has the right to legal assistance, please support us!