In addition to their main offices in Alfred Street, St Leonards and in St Leonards Road, Bexhill, they are now operating at:
-Battle (The Almonry, 42 High Street, TN33 0EA) : drop in Weds 9.30am to 1pm.
-Rye (Tilling Green Comm Centre, Mason Rd TN31 7BE): drop in Weds10am to 1pm.
-Rye (Hub on Rye Hill, Kiln Drive TN31 7SQ): drop in Weds 2pm to 5pm.
-Sidley (The Pelham, Holliers Hill TN40 2DD): drop in Tues 12n to 2pm.
-Etchingham (The Station, Station Road TN19 7PA): drop in 3rd Wed monthly 11am to 1pm.
-Cosy Crypt Warm Space (Christ Church, Silchester Rd TN30 0JB): Thurs 10am to 2pm.
Additionally, they are available in partnership, and therefore mainly for service users only:
-Links Project (6B Station Rd, Hastings TN34 1NG): every 2nd Wednesday 11am-3pm.
-FSN (66 London Rd, St Leonards TN37 6AS): Tuesdays 3.30pm to 5pm.
-Sidley (Freedom Church, Claremont Rd TN39 5BX): 1st Tues monthly 10am to 12n.
-Hastings Food Bank (Kings Church, The Ridge TN34 2SA): Wed and Fri 10.30 to 2.30pm.
-Seaview Project (Hatherley Hill, TN37 6LB): Weds 11am to 2pm.
-Sustenance Food Project (Concordia Hall, Church Road TN37 6HB): 4th Thurs only 1-3pm.
Citizens Advice 1066 will continue with its traditional, and increasingly vital, services and support on benefits issues; housing; debt; employment; and family issues. More recently financial and digital inclusion have been added to the mix to help people improve their situation through increasing skills and confidence to tackle, for example, financial issues. This is helping to reduce utility bills; obtain local grants and vouchers to help with energy; water; phone; and broadband bills; to provide benefits checks to maximise income; and to give guidance on how to budget their income and help reduce outgoings. To help with digital inclusion (i.e. those not too good with computers) Citizens Advice 1066 are assisting with getting access to the internet and can provide access to free and low-cost training and even, funding permitting, digital devices and data. And for those having difficulties with complicated forms, on-line or manually, they offer a form-filling service.
More recently, CA 1066 has also responded to the current energy crisis by recruiting a dedicated energy team, trained to help with making savings on energy costs; getting access to energy efficiency measures; and keeping homes cosy. They can assist with fuel vouchers; understanding energy bills; and even negotiating with energy suppliers.
CEO Tracy Dighton said: We are delighted to now be offering our wide range of support closer to people’s homes, rather than having to take what for many is a long and difficult trip into our main centres in Bexhill or St Leonards. Whilst a lot of our services are available over the phone, many, many people prefer a more personal face-to-face meeting. It is great that we can now offer this access across our area, with more being considered. However, Tracy added, to extend the outreach hours and to support the ever-increasing requests for help, we urgently need more volunteers.
Volunteers do not need any previous experience as full training is given, recognised nationally. Volunteering involves a commitment to a minimum of one day or two half-days per week. There is a friendly, supportive team environment, although working from home can also be arranged.
Anyone interested please call Damian on 01424 721420 for an initial chat or email recruitment@citizensadvice1066.co.uk for a (brief!) application form and for more information.
For general advice the phone number is 01424 869352 and for energy advice, call 0800 145 6879.