Southside Justice

Southside Justice (formerly St Kilda Legal Service) is a place-based community legal centre. For over 50yrs, we have played a unique role in advancing social justice, including championing the rights of sex workers and the LGBTIQA+ community, among other key areas.

Our place-based model prioritises long-term collaboration with other social service organisations, ensuring those with the most need have access to free legal support.

Our local efforts allow for flexibility and innovation, laying strong foundations for initiatives that can be embedded and scaled. A recent example of this is our partnership with the Salvation Army and Victoria Police, where we are integrating legal support into the award-winning Alexis Family Violence Response Model.

Our service data and local community engagement highlight three key priority areas:
– Women’s Equality in Law (WEL): We are interested in funding support that is untied and trust-based, enabling us to flexibly respond to women in our community. Please see our Project page for more information.
– Public and community housing: We are seeking support to enhance our engagement and advocacy with residents living in social housing, who are experiencing unprecedented challenges to their right to live in safe, secure and affordable homes.
– Sex Worker Legal Program: As the only specialised legal service that champions the rights and safety of sex workers in Victoria, we are seeking funding to continue this unique program beyond 2025.

We welcome conversations with funders who see alignment with our organisation or priorities. Please contact CEO Mel Dye [email protected].

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