2023 Piddington Justice Fund grants
We have more than doubled our contributions through the Piddington Justice Fund
The following is from the Hon John Chaney SC, who was Chair of The Piddington Society from 2018–2023. The below were announced at out 2023.
Underlining all Piddington activities are our contributions to access to justice. These come in the form of our justice projects: the Piddington Justice Fund, the Piddington PLT Fund and Kaartidjin, our First Nations Legal Education Fund.
Each of them contributes something unique to the broader access to justice landscape.
Every year, we write to the community legal sector asking for applications to the Piddington Justice Fund. Applications for 2023 were for a maximum of $5000 with a focus on covering costs that they otherwise cannot meet or for new projects they would like support for.
Applications are simple, with applicants providing their most recent annual report and a brief letter explaining how much money they require and how they will spend it. The Committee of The Piddington Society then assesses applications.
For this round, eight applications were received and five were funded.
In previous years, we have contributed $10,000 through this process to the sector. In 2023, we were able to more than double our contributions, resulting in each successful request being fully funded, for a total of $24,651 being disbursed in this round.
This money is raised through Piddington’s activities, being our professional development and social events. Piddington PLT is separate from the fundraising efforts for these projects.
Every time you go to a Piddington event — whether that is a conference, Moorditj Mia, online CPD session or a social event — you are making a contribution to these projects, and therefore to the community legal sector. These grants cannot be made without your input, commitment and trust to Piddington.
The following grants were made:
Aboriginal Family Legal Services requested support for the design of community legal education focused on accessing communities that can be supported by their service. The documents will be translated into local languages.
Aboriginal Family Legal Services is an independent, specialist Family Violence service provider. AFLS Services are delivered in six regions across Western Australia covering the West Kimberley, East Kimberley, Gascoyne, Midwest, Goldfields, and the Pilbara regions.
Further information on Aboriginal Family Legal Services is available here
Albany Community Legal Centre requested support for increased engagement with regional areas, through partnerships with community resource centres (CRCs). This involves travel to location and publications in local newsletters.
Albany CLC is the regional community legal service in the Great Southern, from Walpole to Wagin, Lake King to Hopetoun. The Centre has regular appointments in Albany and Katanning with regular outreach in other towns.
Further information on Albany Community Legal Centre is available here
Community Legal WA requested funding for their work in supporting the sustainability of the wider community legal sector. Some work has already been funded for this but more is required, and the funding will go to further sector-wide training and resource development, focused on client-centred services, which is a key priority of their principal funder, the Department of Justice.
Community Legal WA is the peak body for the sector, and seeks to support services in their development, growth and recognition.
Further information on Community Legal WA is available here
Street Law Centre of WA, which operates on an outreach model going to where homeless people are already accessing services, requested funding for First Aid, Mental Health First Aid and Cultural Awareness Training for their staff.
The staff meet with clients at existing homeless services and are regularly engaged by clients with mental health and other health issues, many of these are First Nations people.
Further information on Street Law Centre is available here
Student Legal Assistance Centre is a new service that has been established by students at UWA. They requested funding for community legal education, marketing and case management software to support the proper establish of their service and awareness from potential clients.
SLAC aims to provide greater access to justice to all UWA students by partnering with volunteer solicitors supported by UWA students to provide free legal advice to UWA students. SLAC increases accessibility to legal advice for vulnerable students and is a student-tailored service with a narrowed focus on tenancy issues, employment law, and workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.
Further information on Student Legal Assistance Centre is available here
Later this year we will share updates regarding the Piddington PLT Fund and Kaartidjin Fund.
Thank you for your ongoing support, we look forward to making more contributions to the community legal sector in the years ahead.
The Piddington Society is a non-profit association of lawyers committed to advancing professional collegiality and access to justice.
This is achieved through our programs, including professional development, Piddington PLT and social events.
The Hon John Chaney SC was the Chair of The Piddington Society from 2018-2023. He announced the above at our 2023 Bali Conference.
Mr Chaney is a former judge of the Supreme and District Courts of Western Australia, a former President of the State Administrative Tribunal and was an inaugural Deputy President of the Tribunal.
More information on The Piddington Society is available through our website, piddingtonsociety.org
