The Victorian Government has made more money available to support community legal centres to deliver vital assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians.The funds are part of new grants round opening today. all 50 community legal centres in Victoria can now apply for a share of $7.1 million over two years from the Community Legal Centre Assistance Fund, the Family Violence Duty Lawyer Fund, and the Community Legal Centre Family Violence Fund.
Attorney General Martin Pakula announced the funding and stated” Community legal centres play a vital role in helping disadvantaged Victorians get legal advice, support and representation in times of hardship. These grants will help ensure community legal centres can continue to deliver crucial assistance to people in need, including family violence victims and I encourage all community legal centres to apply for a grant and look forward to announcing the recipients later this year.”
Each community legal centre will be able to apply for all three grant funds – each worth up to $50,000 per year. The funds include more than $2 million from the Community Legal Centre Assistance Fund, which supports critical programs and free legal services for Victorians who can’t afford a lawyer. Also $2.4 million is available from the Family Violence Duty Lawyer Fund, which helps community legal centres provide specialist family violence duty lawyers in the Magistrates’ Court. More than $2.6 million from the Community Legal Centre Family Violence Fund has also been set aside to helps agencies provide support to family violence victims and faster access to legal services
About 100,000 people apply for assistance every year a range of legal matters, including family violence proceedings, family law, disputes and fines. The Victorian Budget 2017/18 provided almost $25 million in new funding over four years to help community legal centres continue to provide a range of free legal services
Applications for fundings close at midnight on Monday, 28 August.
