DISS, THETFORD & DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Presidents: Mayor of Diss and Mayor of Thetford

DISS, THETFORD & DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE

BUREAU

ANNUAL REVIEW 2014/15

Registered Charity No: 1089052 Company Registration No: 04212031

List of contents Our Lottery Partners Front cover Page 2 – List of contents Page 3 – Chair's review of the year Page 4 – Advice in Diss Page 5 – Advice in Thetford Page 6 - Client enquiries Page 7 – Ditto Page 8 – Statement of Financial Activities Page 9 – Treasurer’s Report Page 10 - South Norfolk Advice Project Page 11 – Breckland Advice Project Page 12– Pension Wise Page 13 – Pension Wise Page 14 – Giving advice in hospitals Page 15 – Specialist debt casework Page 16 - Research and campaigns report Page 17 - Recruiting and supporting volunteers Page 18 - Thank you’s Page 19 – Ditto Back cover

What we do We help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. We use evidence of our clients’ problems to campaign for improvements in laws and services that affect everyone. Our principles are to provide advice which is independent, impartial, confidential and FREE.

To access advice visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Chair’s Review of the year April 2014/March 2015

In our Business Plan we agreed to focus on five key development areas and I am pleased to report that each was successfully achieved. These were:-

1. Introduce a more outcomes-focused approach to service delivery: We worked with our local authority funders to align our work to health and adult services targets by providing help earlier and preventing a crisis situation such as our work in helping people to budget and switch energy suppliers and with a ‘job club’ to help people back into work.

2. Expand the role and number of our volunteers: Under BigL funding we were able to employ a Volunteer Co-ordinator in both bureaux to recruit, support and aid the learning of new volunteer advisers, support workers, receptionists and in the area of Information Technology. We aimed to increase our volunteers by 50% and this was achieved.

3. Introduce a wider use of technology: We invested some of the previous year’s surplus funds to purchase digital telephone networks in both bureaux offices, introduced advice by Skype for those living in remote areas and purchased two information kiosks which we set up in Loddon and Long Stratton.

4. Expand our rural outreaches: We have been offering an advice service in Eye and Loddon and will be opening in Harleston very shortly.

5. Diversify our income streams: We were delighted to be awarded a new Pension Wise contract to cover the whole of Norfolk and Suffolk.

We had a full complement of trustees, although lost our treasurer early in the year when he moved to London to work. A succession plan was agreed. We invited a representative from both our offices to attend our board meetings and a different staff member/volunteer to attend at each meeting to tell us about the work they do. We worked hard to ensure good governance was in place which resulted in a ‘low risk’ category being awarded by Citizens Advice. Prior to the Annual General Meeting, at an EGM we unanimously agreed to adopt new Articles of Association and appoint 2 Presidents, the Mayors of the two towns where we operate. To promote more transparency externally we introduced our first Stakeholder Newsletter. Our most noticeable public event was in early June when we invited about 100 key stakeholders to join us at the Park Hotel to receive a progress report.

Despite the long term staff sickness of two of our specialist staff we managed to meet almost all the targets set for us. Towards the end of the year, on the recommendation of our manager, we successfully started a recruitment process for an Advice Services Manager/ Deputy Manager.

Financially we have had a pleasing year and despite the economic downturn and understandably no increase in funding from our local authority supporters, we have managed to finish the year again with a small surplus which we have designated towards retaining key staff whose project funding has recently ended. Funding for our money advice work was confirmed for another three years.

Altogether, a very satisfactory year.

Jane Guy, OBE & Penny Cuerden, Co-chairs

Advice in Diss

This team comprises approximately 30 volunteers, two Advice Session Supervisors, a

volunteer co-ordinator, specialist money adviser and welfare benefits adviser who together

provide high quality advice through drop-ins on four days each week with weekly outreach

sessions at Harleston Information Plus and Eye Health Centre.

Once again the two largest advice issues involve debt and benefits, but employment

problems are on the increase with employers seemingly taking short cuts in their dealings

with employees, particularly regarding dismissal and redundancy.

The difficulties in contacting large organisations such as HMRC, and the complexity of many

of the issues has led to advisers taking on more case work than ever before. This can be very

time-consuming but extremely satisfying when it results in a successful outcome.

We have prioritised our work to deal with face to face and local telephone contacts but in

recent months have managed to increase the number of Norfolk advice line calls taken.

We have also been very involved in ensuring clients receive energy efficiency advice, which

has meant advisers spending time not just in assisting clients to switch energy suppliers to

achieve savings, but also contacting energy companies to resolve payment and billing

queries.

Thanks go to all our volunteers and staff who have maintained our high standard of service

in a difficult and challenging year. We also thank four local solicitors who provide a free

fortnightly advice service. They are Jackamans, Spire, Steeles Law and Peter Rollin.

A 48 year old male client (M) had been seriously ill for some time culminating in him

undergoing brain surgery. During this time he had received various demands and

communications from HMRC including fines and penalties for late submission of tax

returns which he appeared to be receiving simply because he had completed 4 days’ work

on a self-employed basis when he was 18.

As a result of his illness M had a very fragmented memory of events and was becoming

very stressed and frustrated at his inability to deal with the situation when he could not

remember his own employment history.

Contacting HMRC by telephone proved impossible so we made application to become M’s

agent and then wrote to them on his behalf and obtained details of his PAYE

contributions. With this information we were able to assist him in completing an up to

date tax return. We also assisted M in writing an extensive and detailed letter of appeal

against the numerous fines and penalties. This ultimately resulted in all outstanding fines

and penalties being written off and M will no longer be required to complete tax returns.

Advice in Thetford

This has been a busy year with 1,575 clients helped. Of these, over three quarters were dealt with by the core service, with a further 14% handled under the Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund, which covered specialist employment and, from August 2014, welfare benefits advice and also the invaluable foreign language advice service provided by our partnership with META (Mobile Europeans Taking Action) under the project management of Mid Norfolk Citizens Advice.

The latter part of the Big Lottery project greatly improved the strength of the service offered to

our many non-English-speaking clients, with advice being offered in Portuguese, Polish and

Lithuanian.

As is the case in most bureaux, the main areas of advice were benefits, debt, employment and housing, but a substantial amount of time was also devoted to relationship and domestic violence issues.

In all of these areas except employment (largely due to sickness absence), the year saw an increase in the numbers of clients seeking advice as this chart comparing the third and fourth quarters of the year with the same period for 2013-2014 makes clear. Changes in the case recording system in the summer of 2013 make year-on-year comparisons impossible this year.

Like our neighbouring Diss office we have approx. 30 volunteers supported by 2 Advice

Session Supervisors and specialist advisers in debt, benefits and employment law.

Big Lottery,

247

Core, 1359

MASDAP-East, 144

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Big Lottery Core MASDAP-East

608

537

238

232

167

0 200 400 600 800

Benefits

Debt

Employment

Housing

Relationships

Main Issues Presented by Unique Clients 2014-2015

304

166

114 132

90

288

107 152

106 79

050

100150200250300350

2014-2015 2013-2014

Client enquiries

In general, this has been a highly satisfactory year with healthy client numbers and a much improved and more stable system of case recording. The Diss and Thetford Citizens Advice Service advised the following numbers of clients in 2014-2015:

Total new enquiries 4,883

Client contacts 9,453

Total Advice Issues 11,876

Advice was provided across all the areas of social welfare law and related issues, with debt and benefits advice heavily represented as ever with substantial but lower numbers of clients with employment, housing and relationship issues. The following graphic shows the distribution of areas of advice provided in these areas by the two offices and their various outreaches:

These figures show that the five main areas of advice – benefits, debt, employment, housing and relationships held up well compared to the previous year with a marked rise in family/relationships issues discernible across all four quarters compared with the equivalent period in 2013/14. The stability of the figures for our third largest group of clients (employment) contrasts with a sharply downward national trend in this area of law (mainly because of legislative changes which undoubtedly disadvantage our clients).

At various points in the year, we have sought to measure client satisfaction in both main

offices and in the hospital outreaches and the results have been overwhelmingly positive or

very positive. Recorded financial outcomes show that our clients gained a total of

£2,734,926 in the course of the years, which was mainly achieved in the fields of benefits

and debt. Almost £200,000 worth of debt was effectively written off through Debt Relief.

Orders, while the bureaux’ interventions led to £2,398,104 gained in increased or new

benefits (mainly disability benefits) This latter figure underscores the significance of the Big

C hospital contract in the bureaux output. It is also worth noting that the recorded figures

for financial outcomes from debt advice (£289,879) seriously understates the impact of debt

advice on our clients in terms of negotiating more manageable repayment schedules.

Case study

Wayne has been diagnosed with head and neck cancer and has undergone some 40 hours of

surgery this year. He lives alone and was referred to Big C welfare rights service for

assistance with a claim for PIP (Personal Independence Payment)

Prior to diagnosis/treatment he was in a relationship and in receipt of JSA. His relationship

has since broken down and he made a claim for ESA in December 2014.

When our caseworker first met him he was still on the assessment phase rate of ESA. She

completed the PIP2 form and suggested contacting JCP on his behalf regarding the delay in

the processing of his ESA.

We later reviewed Wayne's file and contacted him by phone when he informed us that

within two weeks of making that call his claim has been processed and he has been placed

in the support group and the SG component has been backdated (£830) and he is now

receiving £125.05 per week. He also informed us that PIP have contacted him and have

arranged for a health care professional to visit him at home to complete a face to face

assessment. It is likely Wayne will be awarded both daily living and mobility components.

__________________________________________________________________________________

DISS, THETFORD AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

(A company limited by guarantee)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(Incorporating income and expenditure account)

FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2015

INCOMING RESOURCES

Note

Restricted Funds 2015

£

Unrestricted funds 2015

£

Total Funds 2015

£

Total Funds 2014

£

Incoming resources from generated funds: Voluntary income (donations) Activities for generating funds Investment income

2

- - -

4,825

953 82

4,825

953 82

8,084

- 45

Incoming resources from charitable activities 3 329,285 109,393 438,678 285,665

Other incoming resources - 9,012 9,012 13,564

_______ _______ _______ _______

TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 329,285 _______

124,265 _______

453,550 _______

307,358 _______

RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable activities Governance costs

258,363 -

_______

98,580 5,026

_______

356,943 5,026

_______

269,526 5,962

_______

TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 4 258,363 _______

103,606 _______

361,969 _______

275,488 _______

NET INCOME BEFORE TRANSFERS 70,922 20,659 91,581 31,870

Transfers between Funds 10 (36,312) 36,312 - -

NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS FOR THE YEAR 34,610 56,971 91,581 31,870

Total funds at 1 April 2014 95,203 _______

106,893 _______

202,096 _______

170,226 _______

TOTAL FUNDS AT 31 MARCH 2015 129,813 _______

163,864 _______

293,677 _______

202,096 _______

TREASURER’S REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2015

INCOMING RESOURCES £

Restricted funds

i.e. funds that can only be expended on specific projects

as stipulated by the funders 329,285

Unrestricted funds

i.e. funds that can be used for general purposes 124,265

__________

TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 453,550

__________

This represents an increase of 48% over the figure for 2013/14 principally due to a new contract

having been started with the Big Lottery Transition Fund with eight partners.

EXPENDITURE

Restricted funds 258,363

Unrestricted funds 103,606

__________

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 361,969

__________

This is equally an increase of 48% over the 2014 figure showing that costs have only increased

strictly in line with the increase in activity and the corresponding increase in income.

The resultant net surplus of £91,581 represented an increase of 287% over 2014.

Current assets (cash and debtors) ended the year at the comfortable level of £264,457 (2014 =

£149,778) primarily owing to debtors having increased significantly due to the late receipt of monies

from the funders (now all paid up).

This has enabled trustees to review their reserves policy to ensure we have the usual recommended

3 months running costs but also designate some for key advice staff after their project funding has

ended.

Heneage Legge-Bourke, Hon. Treasurer

South Norfolk Advice Project funded by BigL

More than five hundred extra people in South Norfolk accessed free face to face advice in one year alone, thanks to successful partnership working between local advice agencies. The Big Lottery funded project helped advice agencies share expertise, training and make cost savings by working together. Our project partners include Norfolk Citizens Advice, Norfolk Community Law Service, Equal Lives, Shelter, AgeUK and Broadland Meridian. Saffron Housing is also a partner, contributing match funding to the project.

The partnership is a first for agencies coordinating advice services in South Norfolk and sharing best practice, training and new ways of working. More people accessed specialist advice sessions including debt, benefits and employability skills which were not previously available.

Caroline, Project Coordinator, said: ‘As part of the project we’ve also worked with other Norfolk advice agencies to demonstrate the positive health impact of our advice, through a survey of our clients”

The project also helped more than 19 new volunteers join the Citizens Advice Service at Diss in the last year and are now being trained to help with information giving, advice sessions and reception.

To help more people access free advice in rural parts of the district, two electronic advice kiosks are now available at Loddon library and South Norfolk Council offices at Long Stratton. In the first six months, more than one thousand online advice sessions were recorded. Self-help advice is also accessible via online at: www.dissandthetfordcab.org.uk/selfhelp

Breckland Advice Project

This project, funded by the Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund (ASTF), was one of six projects in Norfolk. In total some £68 million was awarded to 228 partnerships across England. The Breckland Advice Project was funded for two years by a grant for £319,650.

The partnership formed in Breckland was tasked with reflecting the needs of the people and communities in their areas, including providers of welfare benefits, debt, housing and employment. Amongst the outcomes partners had to show that there were plans to improve their services in terms of sustainability, flexibility and quality over the long term. The partners were:-

Mid Norfolk CAB (the lead partner), Diss, Thetford and District CAB, Flagship Housing Association – working with ‘at risk’ families, Keystone Development Trust, through their META project which advises and supports migrant workers, Equal Lives – a user led charity for people with disabilities – specialist benefits and legal advice, Norfolk Community Law Centre - specialist legal advice on immigration and entitlement for EEA Nationals.

This project has been supported throughout by Breckland Council. The council has shared the desire of the partnership agencies to remove duplication of services and share resources.

Achievements during the life of the project

Development of two advice hubs in Thetford and Dereham CABs, with a third opening in Watton during the life of the project

Provision of specialist debt, welfare rights and disability advisers.

Bilingual advisers, working with general advisers to work with clients to resolve complex issues

Training in the relevant areas of welfare benefits advice to reflect the imminent changes in the welfare system.

Development of robust recording and referral systems, to remove duplication of effort and improve service to clients.

The project ended in September 2015. It has been independently evaluated. The evaluation showed that with one exception, the use of the NCAN referral service, it will have exceeded all the targets set by the Big Lottery.

The Project has:

shown partners that they are able to work together to improve services to clients

that partners can by mutual agreement ‘work differently together’

Freelance studies commissioned by the partners will inform future planning and strategic thinking – to ensure improved services to clients in the longer term.

Both CABs and Flagship Housing shared office space and expert knowledge to prevent clients falling into rent arrears. This arrangement will continue beyond the end of the project. Whilst there is at present no ongoing funding for this project, all partners agree that they have valued the opportunity to work together to improve services to clients and will continue to do so.

Pension Wise – From Strength to Strength

Having successfully bid to deliver the service throughout Norfolk and Suffolk , Diss Thetford

and District CAB in fact undertook one of the very first Pension appointments nationally

when Guidance Specialist Jenny Durrant started her appointment at Beccles at 9.15am on

the 7th of April.

Ironically, Jenny is the only member of the Pension Wise team to have now left us.

The current Pension Wise team. Geoffrey Pickess (Guider) Tom Smith (Guider) Charlotte

Watts (Guider) Ian Sperrin (Guider) Andy Clifton (Guider) Pat Parker (Administrator) Sonia

Browne (Administrator) Mel Jones (Advice Services Manager)

The whole purpose of Pension Wise is to offer service users free and impartial guidance on

their pension options to anybody aged 50 and over and with a defined contribution pension.

It is funded and monitored by HM Treasury.

One of the required service levels was users of the service should not have to incur more

than a thirty minute drive to attend an appointment, so after devising a comprehensive

implementation plan, Diss as a Delivery Centre, launched using fifteen locations so that we

could provide a truly accessible service throughout both counties. In November, we added

Haverhill and Newmarket as the number of appointments grew, supported by both local

and national promotional activity including a concerted TV campaign from September –

November.

Our decision to appoint Guidance Specialists with pension industry experience has clearly

given us an advantage in that we have suffered very few problems as the service has

evolved. All of our specialists passed their mandatory training in good time and have also

recently been observed as being proficient in new appointment content. Users are asked to

complete exit polls which have provided very positive feedback for the service we provide.

Exit Polls to 11 August

Proportion of

appointments

completing a poll

Proportion

‘satisfied’ or ‘very

satisfied’

How likely to

recommend to a

friend /colleague

1-10)

Proportion of

users whose

needs are met

Diss 70% 100% 9.7 98%

National 71% 99% 9.7 96%

We offer a Pension Wise appointment service in Beccles, Bury St. Edmunds, Dereham, Diss,

Fakenham, Felixstowe, Haverhill, Holt, Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Leiston, Lowestoft, Newmarket,

Norwich, Stowmarket, Sudbury and Thetford.

A Pension Wise Guider

“The staff at Diss and the

Citizens Advice branches

that I visit, are a pleasure to

deal with. I have received

nothing but help and

support whenever I have

requested it.”

Giving advice in hospitals to patients with cancer

Diss and Thetford Citizens Advice provides advice to cancer patients in the three main

hospitals in Norfolk (The Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, the James Paget Hospital in

Gorleston and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn) under contract with the Big C

Charity. The Norfolk and Norwich and King’s Lynn parts of the contract are delivered two

days a week each by experienced members of our staff; the Gorleston work is sub-

contracted for one day per week to North East Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau. In 2014-

2015, 543 individual clients were helped.

As can been seen below, by far the largest area of activity was welfare benefits, with claims

for the main disability benefits making up the bulk of the work, but there were also many

claims for Blue Badges (recorded under travel and transport) and for Macmillan Cancer

Support grants (recorded under Other):

Number of Advice Issues by subject matter:

Benefits and tax credits 914

Discrimination 1

Employment 31

Financial 1

Health 7

Housing 10

Other 52

Tax 1

Travel and Transport 100

Utilities 1

The client experience of the service has been monitored in all three hospitals and the

response has been very favourable. The total financial benefit gained by clients of this

service in this year was £2,217,863, of which £2,209,539 was for welfare benefits

(overwhelmingly Personal Independence Payments and Attendance Allowances). This

constitutes the bulk of the positive financial outcomes achieved by Diss and Thetford CA as a

whole.

A recent client survey evidenced great satisfaction with the work being done.

It was professional,

polite, respectful and

informative

Very clear information

and clearly explained

Specialist Debt Casework For a number of years we have had a contract through Citizens Advice to provide money advice and employ a full time money advice worker and a part time support worker. They are based in the Thetford office. During this year we heard that from October 2014 our contract was to be renewed for a further three years. To help a client sort out their debts, sometimes with many different creditors, can take several hours and often over a long period of time while the full facts are gathered and negotiations take place with their creditors. Occasionally such work may also involve supporting a client in court or at a tribunal hearing. For most people now their debts include rent arrears and council tax arrears which are both priority debts and need urgent action to find a remedy. There have been 19 cases during the year where our money adviser has been to court and prevented an eviction and an individual or family from becoming homeless. There are various ways of measuring the outcomes of money advice work but one obvious one is to look at the financial benefits for the client. As a result we can report that this year that figure totalled £475,197, mainly by either maximising the income by claiming previously unclaimed benefits or by persuading creditors to write-off debts as there is no possibility of them being repaid. There is already a good indication that this figure will be far exceeded in the year 2015/16. Below is a case to illustrate how we successfully argued that an overpayment was wrongly assessed:-

HMRC made a decision that our client was overpaid by £11,686 in Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits. With careful research with the client, and representing the client at the tribunal, the outcome was that the original decision was overturned and our client had nothing to repay.

Our money adviser who is suitably accredited, is also a licensed Debt Relief Order intermediary. DRO’s are an alternative to bankruptcy for people who owe less, have no assets and would be unable to meet the bankruptcy fee but who need to resolve their debt situation even though they cannot repay their creditors in full. In the year 2014/15 we made 21 successful DRO applications whereas in the current year this has risen to 61. In the Diss office we also have specialist debt advisers who deal with debt casework. During this financial year we lost Jude who was replaced by Joel, another experienced caseworker.

Research and campaigns report

For some time Citizens Advice nationally has been encouraging local bureaux to change the

emphasis of their Social Policy work. We have been urged to develop a more active

approach and create our own local campaigns and research projects, whilst continuing to

report concerns about local issues and problems via Bureau Evidence Forms (BEFs).

Alongside this reporting work and attending regular regional updating meetings, our own

local Social Policy team has been developing new ways of research and campaigning. From

the beginning of 2015 a small group of volunteers, and members of staff have been working

with trustee Vera Proudlove on a number of local initiatives, usually in parallel with national

Citizens Advice campaigns.

During March a waiting room survey of energy pre-payment meter customers was

completed to highlight the problems faced by this particular group of consumers. Results

were forwarded to Citizens Advice as part of a national campaign.

In July, Diss and Thetford offices were involved in the national Scams Awareness Month. A

press release to local papers, exhibition stands in Diss Library and the local branch of

Barclays bank, and local posters raised awareness of current scams and the best ways to

avoid their consequences. Two case histories of clients who had been scammed locally were

forwarded to Citizens Advice nationally for use in the campaign. In addition, a report on all

the local activities of the month was passed to Citizens Advice.

During the national Big Energy Saving Week campaign in October, information stands were

arranged in Loddon, Diss, Harleston, Thetford and Eye. A press release was issued to local

papers, and awareness raising booklets were delivered to estate and letting agents in Diss

and elsewhere. Once again, a report on all these local initiatives was submitted to our

national office.

Between October and December a survey of local job advertisements was under-taken by

both Diss and Thetford offices. Over 350 individual job advertisements in local media were

examined for accuracy and comprehensiveness in research designed to highlight problems

presented by many job adverts.

The problems clients have contacting HMRC were highlighted in another research project

conducted by our local offices between October 2015 and January this year. Results of this

latest research are due to be collated later this month.

Our Social Policy group, now renamed Research & Campaigns group, remains committed to

giving a local focus to issues raised by the Citizens Advice service in the drive for social

justice and the desire to change things for the better.

Recruiting and supporting our volunteers

This has been a busy year for both the Thetford and Diss offices. We currently have over 60

volunteers across both sites who carry out a variety of roles including advice,

administration, reception and technological support. Our volunteers come from a wide

range of experiences including teaching, human resources, law, nursing, accountancy, and

many more. They all however share the common aim of wanting to give up their time and

energy to help others in their community.

Some volunteers come to us in the hope of gaining experience to get a job. The skills and

confidence volunteers acquire are often transferable and employers tend to look favourably

on volunteers who have worked in a bureau. In recent months, six of our volunteers have

successfully found employment, three within the service itself.

Jean, our Monday volunteer receptionist at Diss, says:

To ensure that the clients who seek help receive the right advice and support we make sure our

volunteers are fully trained and supported. This year alone we have offered volunteers training in

the following areas: dignity at work, money advice, supporting older people, Pension Wise,

Mandatory Reconsiderations, Universal Credit, basic welfare benefits, Energy Best Deal and working

with vulnerable clients in addition to training in specialist areas such as employment law, housing

law and consumer issues. We have also had presentations from local support services and groups

such as Diss Bereavement Support, the Dove Dementia Café, Solo Housing, Job Centre Plus and our

local Children’s Centre at our regular team meetings. Keeping our volunteers informed helps to

ensure our clients get the best possible service, appropriate sign-posting but also helps us maintain

and build on important relationships with our partner agencies who sometimes refer clients to us.

Volunteers are the backbone of our service; without them it would not be possible to help as many

clients. We are very grateful to all our multi-talented, highly committed and dedicated volunteers

for their continued support and service to our clients.

“I enjoy volunteering as it helps

keep my brain active and gives me

the opportunity to get out and meet

other people in the local community.

People come to Citizens Advice with

their problems and worries and put

their trust in us to help them. I

feel it is a privilege to be part of

this process and to provide a

warm and friendly welcome”.

Thank you’s

We would like to thank our many financial supporters. Our local authorities, town and parish councils provide us with funds to provide a core service to those living in their areas. To add value to this work we raise additional money so we can work in specialist subject areas where there is a real need such as money advice/debt or health issues, or where we can work with partners to enable clients to get the extra support they need easier and quicker. Below is a list of our current supporters to whom we are most grateful. Alburgh Parish Council The Allotment Fund BigL Advice Service Transition Fund BigC Breckland Council Brome & Oakley Parish Council Diss Town Council Diss Womens Institute Energy Best Deal** Hastoe Housing Mid Norfolk CAB Mid Suffolk Council Money Advice Service Debt Advice Project**

Norfolk CAB Norfolk County Council Palgrave Parish Council Pension Wise** Redgrave Parish Council Redenhall & Harleston Parish Council South Norfolk DC Suffolk County Council Thetford Town Council Thornham Parva Parish Council Village Womens Circle Weybread Parish Council Wilby Parish Council Winfarthing Parish Council

** Under contract with Citizens Advice

Thank you also to our team

There are many people in our team and all are totally committed, passionate, caring and very talented and we wish to acknowledge each and every one. Below is a list of our current team:-

Current volunteers

We are always looking for more volunteers. If interested or you want further

information please contact us on 01379 644912.

Diss Office

Tracey Bennett Janis Britland Gill Cauldwell Simon Corbyn Mike Drew Peter Dudley Karen Duggan Anita Eldridge Pat Grant

Patrick Harrington John Hutton Hilary Jones Anne Kenyon Cecelia Kidd Liam Mcgrath Steve McGuinness Ruth Noble Sue O’Gorman Rosie Parke

Elaine Phillips Diana Poole Graham Rumbelow Peter Scase Eric Stone Katy Timson-Shepperd Sandra Todd Jean Tomkinson Laurie Vanner Sue White

Thetford Office Celia Bailey-Green Gabriela Basilio Ann Bourne Maria Brandao Jon Coles Sue Colledge Dorota Cooper Georgina Huish Domante Liaubertaite Catia Lourenco

Lisete Martins de Barros Kathy Newman Frances O’Kane Doville Padvaiskaite Debs Powers Miriam Prudente Peter Saunders Diane Seaford Agnesa Seregejeva Feria Siblon Patricia Silva

Angela Smith Carol Snow Karolina Stachura Barbara Stannard Jackie Street Ramunas Tonkevicius Debbie Tyler Lorna Ward Nicki White Peter Woolley Julia Yelloly

Current staff Georgina Allison Diss office cleaner Keith Arnold Advice Session Supervisor TJ Bailey Office Administrator Denise Bogacki Welfare Rights Specialist and Advice Session Supervisor Sonia Browne Pension Wise Administrator and trainee money adviser Becky Chapman Training Supervisor Andy Clifton Pension Wise Guider Mandy Cook Finance Officer Michael John Advice Session Supervisor and employment specialist caseworker Mel Jones Advice Services Manager and Advice Session Supervisor Ricardo Lisboa Money advice specialist caseworker Caroline Mackinson Project Manager Sharon Nash Advice Session Supervisor and Training Supervisor Kay Neville Money advice administrator Pat Parker Pension Wise administrator Hilary Pattison Welfare Rights specialist caseworker Geoffrey Pickess Pension Wise Guider Mike Shanks Advice Session Supervisor Tom Smith Pension Wise Guider Ian Sperrin Pension Wise Guider David Todd Bureau Manager Charlotte Watts Pension Wise Guider

Current trustees Penny Cuerden – Co-chair Stephen Drake Jane Guy, OBE – Co-chair Violet Highton Neil Howard

Heneage Legge-Bourke Martyn Lewis Marion Morse, MBE Vera Proudlove

DISS, THETFORD & DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Presidents: Mayor of Diss and Mayor of Thetford

Diss Office (Shelfanger Road) 01379 651333 Email: advice@disscab.cabnet.org.uk

Monday 1000 – 1500 Drop in and appointments Tuesday 1000 – 1500 Appointments only Wednesday 1000 – 1500 Drop in and appointments Thursday 1000 – 1500 Drop in and appointments Friday 1000 – 1500 Drop in and appointments

Also Thursday lunch time Local solicitors by appointment

Thetford Office (Breckland House, St. Nicholas Street) 01842 752777 Email: advice@thetfordcab.cabnet.org.uk

Monday 0930 – 1430 Appointments only Tuesday 0930 – 1430 Drop in and appointments Wednesday 0930 – 1430 Drop in and appointments Thursday 0930 – 1430 Drop in and appointments Friday 0930 – 1430 Drop in and appointments

Outreaches

Harleston Information Plus,2 Exchange Street, Harleston Wednesdays - 10:00 to 12:00

Loddon Library, 31 Church Close, Loddon (by appointment only) Wednesdays - 10:00 to 12:00

Eye Health Centre, Castleton Way, Eye (by appointment only) Thursdays – 9.00 to 11.00

Home visits for those who would struggle to get into one of our offices are available on request.

Norfolk CAB Adviceline 03444 111 444

Registered Charity No: 1089052 Company No. 04212031 Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Authorised to provide Debt Relief Orders by the Insolvency Service Members of the Citizens Advice network Legal Services Quality Mark www.dissandthetfordcab.org.uk