The Legal Services Commission and Manchester City Council have commissioned Manchester Citizens Advice Bureau in conjunction with Shelter, local law firms Glaisyers and Platt Halpern, and Cheetham Hill Advice Centre to run Manchester's new Community Legal Advice Service.

The service will operate from six sites and several outreach locations throughout the city, to provide a wide range of general legal advice plus specialist advice in debt, housing, welfare benefits, community care and family law.

Jointly funded by the LSC and the city council, the CLAS opens on 14 October this year and will receive £8.9m over the three years of the contract.

LSC executive director Hugh Barrett said: 'I'm delighted that Manchester CAB and its partner organisations have won the contract. They are all experienced in delivering public legal services and have made a commitment to delivering joined-up legal services for vulnerable individuals in Manchester.'

Andy Brown, chief executive at Manchester CAB, said: 'This is an exciting opportunity to bring the full range of advice services to local communities through six purposefully designed centres across the city, to ensure that people can access the right advice at the right time, first time.'

Source: The Law Society Gazette