by Sarita England

In January two new legal centres began offering free legal advice, referral and advocacy in one of the most disadvantaged areas in Sydney. The demand has been so strong that additional help is now required.

The initiative in the Campbelltown area has been funded through the Archbishop of Sydney’s Community Care and Development Program and is modelled on the success of a similar centre operated by St John’s, Darlinghurst.

The project has been so successful that there is now an urgent need for solicitors in south-western Sydney who would be prepared to provide pro bono advice and even take on cases.
Prue Gregory is the principal solicitor at both centres which are working out of the WorkVentures Connect sites at Claymore and Macquarie Fields. She said that the need is enormous and that this work provides a practical way to demonstrate God’s love and compassion.

“The level of poverty and isolation experienced by many people in the area is directly proportional to the lack of power they feel they have over their lives. They can be bewildered by bureaucracy and an encounter with the legal system.”

“The aim of the legal centres is to try and correct this imbalance – to empower people marginalised by society, and give them a level of control in their lives as well as a level of self-respect.”
The project is working well with the parishes of St Peter’s, Campbelltown and Glenquarie Anglican church that already have significant outreach ministry to people in need in their areas. “Early on,” Prue said, “I met with members of the churches’ outreach ministries and we set up a system of cross referrals between the ministries and the legal centres. This team’s approach towards helping people in need has proved very successful.”

Prue says the typical client who comes to the centres is a single mother, with two or three children living in Department of Housing accommodation and receiving Centrelink benefits. “The client will come with financial issues, such as an inability to pay her debts, or difficulties with the Department of Housing. Often she will be overwhelmed by the system or confused by the requests made by government departments.”

The solicitor says the scheme should be repeated in others parts of Sydney. “Where there are similar levels of unemployment and poverty it is extremely likely there would be a demand for legal help.”