Drop in Clinic
Health Justice Partnerships
Prevention of Violence Against Women
BGCLS Official Opening
BGCLS held it's official opening last Friday (February 1). Our Chairperson, Scott Sherritt, welcomed guests along and outlined the vision for our service and the many ways in which we can assist the community. This was followed by an official Welcome to Country from proud Wadawurrung Traditional Owner, Bonnie Chew and a traditional Smoking Ceremony. Guests were invited to immerse themselves in the smoke as it billowed into the new building (which definitely worked as the smoke detectors proved to guests with ear piercing precision). A light lunch and opportunity to tour the building rounded the formal proceedings.
Thank you to Bonnie for her kind words; all who attended on the day; and, the Ballarat Times for their media support of our official opening.
Starting 2019 strong...
Welcome to 2019 and what a great start it's been for our organisation. We finished 2018 packing boxes, changing stationery, creating new promotional material and beginning a new website.
After almost 10 years in Dawson Street North, it was time to move to a larger premises to accommodate our growing programs. While there is still some minor work to be completed in our new Chancery Lane home, we are up and running to positive feedback.
We have a dedicated reception area and waiting room. Our new interview rooms are larger, quieter and greater in number, so we can assist more people.
Of course, we have had a significant name change from Central Highlands Community Legal Centre to better represent the region we service. By including Ballarat and Grampians in the name, confusion about the location of the service should be significantly reduced, with greater inclusiveness of our Grampians community.
Our new logo, by photographer and graphic designer Andrew Thomas, is designed to represent the size and diversity of our region. The star at the top represents Ballarat (referencing the Southern Cross and it's connection with the infamous Eureka Stockade). The middle image is representative of the peaks across the Grampians, with the bottom yellow representing the flat wheat fields of the Wimmera. ​
After such as strong start, we're looking forward to an exciting year of assisting the community!
BGCLS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the region we service, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land, water and community. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their Elders past, present and emerging.
BGCLS is committed to providing safe and inclusive legal and community services.
ACN AOO18716c ABN: 64680414789 Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service Inc. is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR
Photo used under Creative Commons from verchmarco