News In Focus
16 October 2009
Glasgow law centre faces closure after funding switch
Glasgow's East End Community Law Centre is to challenge the loss of its £250,000 funding from Glasgow City Council which would force its closure next year.
The 12-year-old centre, which currently has two solicitors and a legal trainee among its seven staff, claims to deal with over 3,000 clients each year, bringing in £3m to the community. Much of its work deals with employment tribunal and benefit claims.
Following a review of advice services, however, the council has awarded a £2.4m contract to East Glasgow Advice, a consortium comprising Citizens Advice, the Greater Easterhouse Money Advice Project and Govan Law Centre.
According to the council, the 27 organisations that made up the advice network in Glasgow had developed without any strategic framework, leading to fragmented service provision across the city. Changing the funding to a commissioning approach would mean a fair and transparent allocation of resources, and improved provision of services across the city.
However with hundreds of local people having signed a petition against the closure, the law centre is attempting to bring a legal challenge against the decision.