Like many of the people it helps, South Holland’s Citizens Advice Bureau is feeling the pinch.
Many people do not realise it is a charity, and as such relies on help from the district and county council, grants and donations to fund the vital work it does.
While money is tight, everywhere, there is a knock-on effect on the CAB and at a time when many organisations are having to tighten their belts, the bureau too is also looking at ways to cut costs without affecting the clients it serves.
And it is hoping to harness the power of volunteers to meet that objective.
Chief officer Lisa Barwell has put out an appeal for people to step forward to add their skills and ideas to the mix to forge a new, leaner, future for the bureau.
Lisa said: “We have a good team of volunteer advisers and a new tranche just coming through now, but what we need are more people to volunteer on our board of trustees.
“We are facing changes and uncertainty in where the money is coming from, certain areas of revenue have dried up, and we need to look at new ideas to deliver our services.”
The South Holland Citizens Advice Bureau needs around £300,000 a year to do what it does, and Lisa hopes new blood on the board will bring fresh ideas and skills to help it continue to achieve that level of funding.
After all, the service the CAB provides in offering welfare and benefits advice to the residents of South Holland is vital to the economy of the district.
In South Holland the CAB employs 1.2 full time equivalent welfare benefits specialists and the result of their work brought in £485,000 to the local economy in the financial year to March 31, 2014, in terms of the benefits they were able to secure for people.
Dave Briggs, who is a website wizard and owner of Spalding business Kind of Digital, is one of the current board members already lending his skills to the mix to take the bureau forward.
He is in the process of setting up a new website for the CAB which will make it easier for people to access the service.
He said: “We are currently looking at technology and how we can use it to deliver our services – such as can we set something up so people can ‘self-serve’ and get the help and advice they need on the internet or can we use telephone and video conferencing?
“The current South Holland CAB website is very basic and not very user-friendly, so we are trying to make it more accessible, with features such as instant translation and more up-to-date advice and information.
“We are hoping it will be our ‘shop window’ to reach a wider audience and give people the choice how they access our service.
And ease of access is one of Lisa’s priorities.
She said: “One of our key messages is that we want people to come to us sooner, while their problem is still small.
“Things like debt can have a ripple effect and if they bury their heads in their sand, by the time they come to us it is not just one problem but a whole host of problems, such as losing their house and their relationship breaking down.
“If they don’t seek help until their whole world is crashing down around their ears it is a whole lot harder to untangle the mess and sort it all out.”
Lisa said the number of people experiencing relationship problems has rocketed, which have serious consequences on people’s mental health and other aspects of their life, such as work.
It can also mean an increase in domestic violence, so it is important to tackle issues quickly.
One way Lisa hopes the CAB may be able to move forward and increase its income is by offering is services to businesses.
She said: “Issues at home such as debt can affect all aspects of a person’s life and can result in illness and absence from work.
“If a company is experiencing a high level of absenteesim they could call us in to help tackle the underlying problems.”
Anyone who can offer some time to join the board of trustees can contact Lisa by email at [email protected]
South Holland Citizens Advice Bureau offers help with legal, housing and financial problems, including debt and welfare benefits advice.
It is based at South Holland District Council’s headquarters in Priory Road, Spalding, but is independent and offers impartial advice.
It also has outreach services in Holbeach, Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge and at Spalding, Holbeach and Sutton Bridge children’s centres.
It offers telephone advice via Adviceline, a partnership of all seven Lincolnshire bureaux, and access to specialist advisers for complex cases by appointment only.
Contact Adviceline on 08444 111444 or South Holland CAB reception on 01775 717444. The website is www.shcab.org.uk
