Birmingham Law Centre® is under threat of closure because of the impact of the pending legal aid and other government cuts. Currently, the Law Centre receives around £160,000 in legal aid money. According to Peter Lowen, the Law Centre’s chief executive officer, it will lose about half of this amount in April because of the scope cuts that will be introduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Last year, the Law Centre lost a grant of £156,825 to provide advice under the Sure Start initiative in family centres, after the government cut back the funding for this scheme. Peter Lowen explained to LAG that the Law Centre’s main problem was that it would run out of money in the next few weeks, and if this happens it will be unable to implement a restructuring plan. Peter Lowen met Birmingham City Council leader, Sir Albert Bore, to try and persuade the council to give financial help to bridge the Law Centre’s funding gap. Peter Lowen described his discussion with the council leader as ‘full and frank’, and said that Sir Albert was unable to offer any immediate help, though ‘we are still having discussions with the city council’. He said that the Law Centre was grateful to ‘everyone in the legal sector for their magnificent support in our fight for survival. We have had messages of support from solicitors, judges and others. We will continue to talk to anyone willing to help.’

The Law Centre employs four solicitors, eight caseworkers and three support staff. Just over two years ago, when Saltley and Nechells Law Centre, the only other Law Centre in the Birmingham area, was forced to close its doors as a result of financial difficulties, a number of its staff moved to Birmingham Law Centre. Julie Bishop, director of the Law Centre Network, told LAG: ‘It would be a major loss for the only Law Centre in Birmingham to close.’