THE Tunbridge Wells and District Citizens Advice is moving its office to new town centre premises on February 23.
For initial appointments, it will continue to be based at Tunbridge Wells borough council’s Gateway premises at Fiveways, where it is open from 10am-4pm.
But the site for follow-up meetings will now be on the ground floor of the Town & Country Housing Group building in Monson Way, off Monson Road. It was previously based in Vale House in Clarence Road.
Last year, the bureau’s team of 70-plus volunteers helped over 5,300 people – more than one in 20 in the borough – in 11,000 sessions, and secured for them £1.145million in debt relief, unclaimed benefits and savings in energy bills.
Alison Kemp, the charity’s local Grants Manager, said: “Citizens Advice offers free advice to help local people find a way through their problems – whether they’re caused by debt, benefits, housing and homelessness, employment issues, family relationships or consumer rights.”
She added: “Our work goes much further than advice. We help a growing number of families to avoid eviction by supporting them with financial management, saving the council the cost of rehousing, and reducing the burden on the NHS by freeing up the GP consulting time that is now being spent on non-medical issues like debt, which can cause anxiety and depression.”
In addition to the Monson Way office, which opens on February 26, Citizens Advice can also continue to be accessed at Gateway, as well as Cranbrook Library, the Soup Bowl drop-in at the United Reformed Church, The Hub at the Mental Health Resources Centre in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park and three GP surgeries – at Rowan Tree, Greggswood and St Andrews Medical Centre.
For more information, call the advice line on 03448 487978 or visit www.twcab.org.uk
