A BROMSGROVE advice service has been given £75,000 to help struggling Redditch residents.
The district’s Citizens’ Advice Bureau will provide outreach services to those living in neighbouring Redditch after the closure of its own branch in February.
The grant from Redditch Borough Council was originally secured by the Redditch branch for 2015/16, but its closure reopened bids for funding with Bromsgrove’s CAB scoring the most points.
It means services and information on welfare benefits, housing, debt, immigration and employment will all be provided by staff and volunteers from the town at locations in Redditch.
In total 151 Redditch residents have used the service in person since it closed, while a further 150 called the advice line.
Additional staff have also been trained and the service will officially launch next week.
Sonia Hambidge, chief officer of Bromsgrove CAB said: “We were able to do this, courtesy of a small grant from our national organisation, Citizens Advice. We greatly appreciate the commitment of Redditch Borough Council to funding advice services.
“This grant will now enable us to deliver our information and advice services in Redditch, from several locations.
She added: “Our longer term vision is to provide an advice centre in Redditch which will have its own centrally located and accessible office base as well as outreach provision in other areas of the borough.”
