Legal Briefing for Contact Centre Volunteers

Volunteers from Carlisle's Child Contact Centre have this week benefited from free legal training from a local solicitors' firm.

Burnetts in Carlisle provided a Family Law training session to 14 voluntary workers from the Carlisle Child Contact Centre on Tuesday 13th June. The aim of the session was to give the volunteers a better understanding of where the centre fits into the Family Law system and how a family might be referred.

Sandra Wiggin is a Legal Executive with Burnetts Solicitors as well as Secretary of the Carlisle Child Contact Centre committee and the organisation's Family Law Practise representative. She said, "It does help to understand how families come to be at the contact centre so I talked about my part in the process as well as giving guidance on the subject of parental responsibility."

Penny Dooley from CAFCASS (The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) spoke about the court process and the role of CAFCASS. 

Free training is one of the benefits of being a volunteer at the Carlisle Child Contact Centre. This session is part of the volunteers' ongoing development programme which has recently included Drug & Alcohol Awareness, Child Protection and Health and Safety.

Jude Graham, Coordinator said, "The training programme helps our volunteers give the families using the centre the best support they can. Sandra Wiggin has been involved with the Contact Centre for many years and when I asked her about this session, she was keen to help. As well as the training, Burnetts is also providing a venue and buffet supper free of charge."  

The Contact Centre is currently looking for more volunteers to help on Tuesday evenings at Denton Holme Community Centre or at the Chatterbox Creche on Saturday mornings. For more information contact Jude Graham on 01228 710095. 

Note to Editor:

Carlisle Child Contact Centre provides a safe and comfortable environment for children to enjoy contact with parents and other family members in situations of relationship breakdown and where no other arrangements can be agreed. Parents may spend time with their children on the premises or use the Centre as a hand-over point at the beginning and end of contact.

9th June, 2006