Description
In Poland there is a difficult access to free-of-charge legal assistance for people at risk of social exclusion living in rural areas. Project objective is to empower vulnerable groups by increasing the scope and range of support through launching 4 new, permanent consultancy points and mobile advisory services for people in difficult personal and family situation. The project is targeted at the residents of southern Kaszuby, mostly from rural areas, who have difficult access to legal and citizen rights advice. The project is innovative in this geographical area - it introduces mobile consultancy services, it adds mediation as an enhancement of the scope of typical advisory services and some advisory and preventive activities targeted at the youth. Advice will be provided during at least 1500 meetings in 5 consultancy points and by mobile services. For better results and project sustainability, broad array of partners are expected to be involved (5 municipalities and a psychologist). Thanks to partnership, added value will be generated through collaboration, which will translate into improved quality, efficiency and sustainability of services.
Summary of project results
"Because of a complicated legislation, in many cases citizens are not able to cope alone without professional help. People in difficult financial situation can't use law office service and need citizenship counseling free of charge. It is especially important for the inhabitants of small towns and municipalities away from agglomerations, where access to a lawyer, institutions and organizations supporting citizens is very limited, and access to bigger cities is difficult. The aim of the project was to facilitate the access to legal and citizenship counseling of the southern Kashubia population, mainly from the rural area, through foundation of new counseling points and launching a mobile counseling. The scope of activities of the Office of Civil Advice was widened through creating 7 new permanent points of advice and organizing mobile counseling for persons in difficult family and personal situations. 1804 pieces of advice were given. The scope of classical advice was broadened by mediations (49 conducts). 7 new points of counseling were opened with given support in solving 1560 problems of inhabitants. The mobile consulting was introduced (244 cases). The clients of the office completed 152 individual plans of activities. The workshops for secondary school youth called “The Youth closer to the law"" together with the training for volunteers were conducted. The materials promoting civil advice were published including posters, leaflets and calendars. 1483 adult inhabitants of Kaszuby region benefited from the project together with groups of youth taking part in workshops (22 persons). Partners (Brusy Community, Chojnice Community, Dziemiany Community, Konarzyny Community, Lipnica Community) provided a part of financial support, gave premises free of charge, helped to promote the project and provided stability of the project by enlisting civil consulting into the program of cooperation with NGO organizations. The Lucyna Borzyszkowska Psychological Study of Relief and Development was responsible for conducting mediations and supported the advisors with the knowledge and experience."
Summary of bilateral results