PilchConnect Gets Short Term Funding Reprieve from Victorian Government
20 October 2011 at 1:59 pm
Specialist Not for Profit legal service, the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) in Victoria, has been given a short term funding reprieve from the Victorian Government.
The Coalition Government is providing more than $200,000 as part funding to continue the service until July next year.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan says the government would contribute $235,000 to PILCH to continue the provision of free or low-cost legal services to Victoria’s Not for Profit sector.
PilchConnect combines the pro bono resources of the private legal profession with specialist in-house expertise to deliver NFP organisations with legal advice, assistance and training.
Ryan says the services provided through PilchConnect allows NFP organisations to focus on their core role of supporting the community.
The Office for the Community Sector in the Department of Planning and Community Development is contributing $149,700 of the funding while the Department of Justice is providing the remaining $86,000.
The Manager of PilchConnect, Sue Woodward says while the funding boost is welcome, the organisation is keen to secure funding over a three year period.
Woodward says the now that the model has been evaluated and found to have had an economic impact of $4.3 million in the past financial year by Deloitte’s Access Economic’s report, it is time to address more secure funding.
However the VCOSS Clearing House, which works in conjunction with PILCH, is also looking to secure three year funding. Its current funding runs out in December 2011.
VCOSS CEO Cath Smith says she is trying to secure bridging finance beyond that to get to the next financial year.
Ideally, she says she would like to see the State Government make a three year commitment and provide Budget funding as a recurrent item.
