David Morawetz
2009 Launch
Peter Gartlan
Liz Pentland
Donna Letchford and Carolyn Bond
Nick Trewella
The Jan Pentland Foundation was launched in Melbourne on 26th November, 2009. The launch included an outline of the objects and operation of the Foundation.
David Tennant
Fiona Guthrie and Mel Keenan and Mikala Hehir
Financial Counselling Victoria, the peak body for financial counsellors in Victoria, also made a presentation to Jan's family to note the establishment of an annual award to honour Jan.
Michael Funston and
Phillip Field
Colin Neave and
Fiona Guthrie
The keynote speaker at the launch was Peter Gartlan a colleague of Jan Pentland.
Nick Trewhella, Chair of the Financial and Consumer Rights Council, Jan’s Partner, David Morawetz and daughter Liz Pentland also spoke at the launch.
Read their full speeches through the links below.
The Tim McCoy Award
On 6 November 2009, Jan was the posthumous winner of the Tim McCoy award. This prestigious award is given annually to recognise the outstanding contribution of an organisation or person working in the community law or legal aid sector in Victoria. Jan was nominated for her lifetime achievements – in increasing funding for financial counselling, building the peak body (AFCCRA), linking financial counsellors with community lawyers, promoting Indigenous financial counselling, her leadership roles as chair of the Consumer Credit Legal Service and then the Consumer Action Law Centre and so on.
Her nomination was also based on her long standing advocacy to reform bankruptcy law, particularly to stop creditors using bankruptcy as a debt collection tool for debts as small as $2,000. Jan was nominated by Carolyn Bond (Consumer Action Law Centre) and Gary Sullivan (West Heidelberg Community Legal Centre).