Merger leads to new Citizens Advice East Lancashire (CAEL) covering Burnley, Pendle and the Ribble Valley

The newly named Citizens Advice East Lancashire (CAEL) currently has four offices at: Stubbylee Hall in Bacup, New Era Centre in Accrington, Every Street, Nelson, and the Calico Building in Burnley town centre and has extended its outreach services.

Citizens Advice Ribble Valley closed in March, but the new agency is now providing outreach in Longridge and Clitheroe.

Chief executive David Oglaza said: “We now have 46 staff and 27 volunteers. By merging, it means that we are able to apply for more funding to help more people across a wider area.

“As Rossendale and Hyndburn, annually around 6,000 people would access our services, as CAEL we will serve 15,000 people and bring in around £4 million extra income into the community.

“There used to be a lot of duplication across the services. Before, the smaller agencies could not afford to employ a benefits expert, but if we share that cost across the whole of East Lancashire we can.

“Merging has given us more resilience and better capability to manage staff absence.”

Call Services Manager Julia Hannaford said: “I am looking to make sure there is access for everyone across East Lancashire as and when they need our services.

“We have one phone number for all areas, we have improved our digital offer and now also have a WhatsApp form and we offer face-to-face across East Lancashire.

“In some areas of East Lancashire, we have large Asian and Eastern European communities as well as refugees and asylum seekers; it is important that everyone can access our service at the first point of contact for whatever their issue is. Our aim is to have a minimum of two core outreach sessions available in each local authority area.”

CAEL has a National Lottery funded Crisis Support and Recovery Project led by Lorraine Marshall. She said: “We have funding until the end of June and we are able to offer additional access points across the area including at Hyndburn Food Pantry on the last Tuesday of each month 10am-noon and Haslingden Community Link on the first and third Wednesdays 1-3pm.

“I am there to have a chat with anyone attending and offer whatever assistance is appropriate, rather than them having to fill a form in.”

In Burnley face-to-face advice is available on Mondays and Thursdays at Centenary Court, Calico Building, 9am-noon and on Wednesdays at DownTown Community Grocery, Charter Walk Community Centre 9am-noon.

In Clitheroe face-to-face advice is available on the first and third and when applicable fifth Fridays 11.30am-1.30pm at St Paul’s Church, Longridge, and on the second and fourth Fridays 10am-noon at the Olive Tree, Clitheroe.

For Pendle face-to-face advice is available on Wednesdays 1-4pm Nelson Library for residents with United Utilities water debts only.

CAEL is available on 0808 278 7975 available from 9am to 5pm. The number links with the national Citizens Advice lines for specialist help with issues including debt and homelessness, and also connects to a local advisor if required.

For full information about Citizens Advice face-to-face times and locations visit the website www.cael.org,uk