Equalities and Human Rights

Three funding streams have enabled the Law Centres Federation to establish a new Equality and Human Rights Project. These have been the Big Lottery Fund, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and European Union funding for devising public legal education materials and raising awareness.

Developing Discrimination Advice

Funding from the Big Lottery Fund enabled the LCF to create a new equalities post at LCF to build on work done in the SORBAEE and Disability Rights Projects. The post of Equality and Diversity Manager was filled by Flora Williams,

It has enabled the LCF to take forward the Developing Discrimination Advice workstream of the Working Together for Advice Project.  The workstream is co-ordinated by the Law Centres Federation, but also involves other members of the Working Together for Advice Project.

The main areas of work focus on identifying gaps in discrimination advice across England, developing a training programme for discrimination advisors at all levels and a good practice model for discrimination advice referral.

Co-ordination and Public Legal Education

In 2008, the LCF also received a grant from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to support the 26 Law Centres in receipt of EHRC grants. Quarterly meetings are held during which workers share information, support one another and are updated on developments in discrimination advice in their regions.

The project aims to promote equalities and human rights by raising awareness through public legal education both at national and local level. In 2008, the project produced discrimination and human rights information sheets aimed at the general public for use by LCF members and others involved in PLE activities.

Progress Towards Equality Project

LCF’s commitment to public legal education has been enhanced with support from the European Union. With our partners in the advice sector, Progress has produced public information materials focusing on aspects of discrimination and how people can take action themselves. In February 2008, Advicenow set up a website, ’Is that discrimination ?‘ which focuses on questions from members of the public and provides guidelines to help people solve their discrimination problems.

Five conferences were held in 2008 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, bringing discrimination advisors together to discuss regional issues in the provision of discrimination advice and their impact upon advice work.

Progress 2 Project

This one-year project is the second stage of the European Union’s Progress project. The first stage of the project focused on advice agencies and on devising public legal education materials. Following on from it, this second stage of the project targets the public directly, offering a range of informative material and events. For more details on Progress 2 please see its dedicated page on this website.