CSL Behring in Australia recently received the 2021 Robert Kumar Award for community work in the Hume region of Broadmeadows.
In announcing the award, Banksia Gardens Community Services said they were “grateful for the big things and the small things that CSL Behring has contributed to the community, and for all their help along the way.” The community organization and neighborhood house serves 80,000 people a year with an emphasis on early childhood, education and training, gender equity, young people, environmental sustainability, community participation and advocacy.
CSL Behring Senior Legal Counsel Ainslee Minihan last month accepted the award, which recognizes CSL Behring’s contribution through the Broadmeadows Community Grant program and pro-bono legal services provided by CSL’s Legal team to local community groups.
“We are so pleased that the work we provided has been helpful, and provided genuine assistance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minihan said.
Banksia Gardens received the Broadmeadows Community Grant in 2015 and again in 2019 for programs, including the CSL WorkConnect Scholarship Program that assists community members in finding work. CSL’s Australian Legal Team selected Banksia Gardens as its first pro bono client to enhance the grant’s impact. During the early days of the pandemic, the CSL Legal team also offered pro-bono support that helped Banksia Gardens transition to online registration, which enabled the group to keep serving the community during 18 months of lockdown.
The Australian Legal team officially launched its pro-bono legal program in 2020 and has given legal and governance support to various organizations tackling economic disadvantage, unemployment and homelessness in the city of Hume.
“As lawyers, we owe professional and ethical obligations to support those in the community without access to justice. The pro-bono legal program provides the perfect opportunity for the Australian legal team to discharge those obligations and has created enriching opportunities for professional development, collaboration and community engagement,” said Amy Demediuk, Associate General Counsel, Asia-Pacific, Global R&D and Corporate Development.
