$150,000 Grant from Ontario Helps the Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland  

MPP David Piccini cuts the ribbon on the new office expansion and renovations at the Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland. The Help Centre received a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation toward the renovations.

April 14th, 2023 – On Friday afternoon, MPP David Piccini visited the Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland’s Open House to hear about the impact that a $150,000 grant from Ontario has had on the Centre’s work. The funding, coming through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) Resilient Communities Fund, was used to expand and renovate the Centre’s office.  

“The Help Centre has supported people in need in our community for a long time, and I’d like to thank the Centre’s staff for their outstanding work,” said MPP David Piccini. “This renovation will ensure that the Centre can continue to serve the people of Northumberland at their newly-accessible Cobourg location for years to come.” 

The Centre is visited and used by as many as 9,000 people over the course of a year, and thanks to the $150,000 grant, people of all abilities can better access the space. The renovation includes a much-needed meeting room that will provide assistive technology and enable people of all abilities to participate. The room will be used for client workshops, community meetings, and other group activities, giving users improved access for activities at the Centre for years to come.  

“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated,” said Beth Bellaire, Chair of the Board for The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland. “This grant has allowed needed expansions and renovations to be made. Our space is completely accessible and we can now accommodate everyone with mobility issues and serve our community better.”  

The grant was also used to add more offices, giving staff well-ventilated, safe and quiet places to meet with clients, as well as creating a dedicated room with online access to accommodate clients required to attend remote legal hearings. It also enabled the Centre to widen its hallways to increase accessibility. 

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.