Dooley Blog

In about 2007 Parramatta City Council established a Social Enterprise program to nurture social enterprises within the Parramatta community with a view to facilitating social, environmental and cultural outcomes for the local community. It has to date assisted with the development of about 21 social enterprises ranging from artistic or cultural endeavours to more traditional businesses such as a cafe that addresses youth-related social issues related to generational poverty and unemployment, cleaning, catering or providing locally produced organic fruits and vegetables directly from farmers to consumers.

As part of this program, in about April 2010, the Council and the National Pro Bono Resources Centre partnered to establish a Pro Bono Legal Panel to assist the social enterprises with their legal needs. In July 2010 Dooley & Associates Solicitors joined 6 other Sydney law firms as part of the Council’s Pro Bono legal panel along with The Arts Law Centre, Blake Dawson, Henry Davis York, Phang Legal and Sparke Helmore Lawyers. During the first 12 months of this project, panel members have assisted social enterprises with issues of insurance, incorporation, legal structure, risk management and contracts.

Dooley & Associates Solicitors are excited, proud and honoured to be involved in providing pro bono legal assistance to upcoming social enterprises that are part of the Parramatta City Council social enterprise program and we look forward to watching the program expand and develop to other areas of Sydney and also to seeing the contributions that the social enterprises will continue to make to the Parramatta and other local communities.

To find out more about Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise program click here.

Congratulations to Rosemary Kariuki for winning Citizen of the Year for Parramatta in the Australia Day Awards 2012.

A great recognition for all her hard work! Rosemary received the honour for her work with the African Village Market, a program which she founded and set up with the assistance of the Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise Program. It is aimed at helping African migrants start their own businesses.

We hope to continue to be able to assist such great people and programs get off the ground as part of our work with the Parramatta City Council’s Social Enterprise Pro Bono Legal Panel. Stay tuned for more information on this great program and initiative by Parramatta City Council, the National Pro Bono Resources Centre and 7 legal firms (including us) that make up the Pro Bono Legal Panel assisting the social enterprises with their legal needs.

We hope that this recognition is the start of a great 2012 for Rosemary and the African Village Market.