The Open Door project, developed by Harlow's Community Legal Services Partnership, holds a celebration event at the Study Centre. The project, which began in 2001, was designed to bring information on rights and responsibilities to hard to reach groups in Harlow and to improve access to advice and information.

As chairman of the Partnership, local councillor Lorna Spenceley is the master of ceremonies, and there is an excellent turnout from local groups and organisations whose role includes giving advice to the public - everyone from Harlow Council's housing service and the Citizens Advice Bureau, to Employ-Ability and Harlow College.

The guest speaker is Tina Fahm, chairman of the East of England Legal Services Commission, and there are also presentations on each of the strands of the project - the Harlow Partnership Against Poverty Where to find ... book, the electronic referrals project (enabling local advice organisations to refer clients to each other online), the Benefits Advice in Multi Media benefits calculator project, and theatre active and the Your Way Forward housing CD-ROM. Lorna says:

"Harlow is virtually unique in succeeding to maintain an active Community Legal Services Partnership, and the success of the Open Door project is something of which all involved can be very proud indeed."