Govanhill Law Centre fears closure after grant refusal

The future of Govanhill Law Centre is said to be in doubt after it failed to win a share of the Scottish Government's new Equality & Human Rights Fund.

Opened in 2008, the law centre has been part funded by the Scottish Government as it works to support an ethnically diverse area with high levels of deprivation. However the funding landscape has changed with the new fund replacing previous arrangements, and while 48 organisations successfully applied for help, including five specialising in human rights issues, Govanhill missed out, leaving a £75,000 hole in its finances.

Senior solicitor Rachel Moon said that if the law centre did not close, it would have to "look at seriously diluting our services", which would defeat one of its aims of being always there for clients.

She added: "The work we deal with is complex and multi-faceted and has taken a long, long time for us to understand and be able to help."

The area includes communities who historically have had a lack of trust in the authorities, and the centre has to combat exploitation of people in relation to housing and employment, as well as litigating to establish their right to benefits.

The Scottish Government said the new fund had been oversubscribed by applications "and so unfortunately there are organisations which have not been successful". The process had been competitive and independently assessed.