A NEW Board of Trustees at Citizens Advice Ceredigion is make funding challenges a priority in a year which marks the 80th anniversary of the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Citizens Advice Ceredigion, which has a centre at Napier Street in Cardigan, is a charity and reliant on donations and grant funding to operate its services.

New chair Sue Chambers said: “Citizens Advice plays a vital role to people in Ceredigion. Providing independent, confidential, impartial and free advice and guidance about a wide range of issues, our staff and volunteers can make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“It can be daunting for people to know where to go to or who to talk to in organisations about such sensitive issues as trying to manage a debt or difficulties understanding their entitlement to benefits or consumer and legal rights.

And that’s where our staff and volunteers come in. To those people who have no other means of accessing support they can make a huge difference and may ultimately take them and their families out of poverty.

“Managing funding challenges is the greatest issue we face. We are a charity and rely on donations and financial support from public bodies such as local councils and some of this funding has recently reduced significantly.

“To continue to have a Citizens Advice presence across Ceredigion we must find a way of investing just to stand still and that means identifying new ways of funding and our CEO, Serretta Bebb, is working to identify the funding opportunities out there and reaching out to those organisations who recognise the impact CAB can have on individuals’ lives.

“Citizens Advice was founded on September 4, 1939; the day after WW2 broke out, and 80 years later we are still helping people with complicated and intimidating problems.

“We would love to hear of any people who have memories and stories of the Citizens Advice Bureau and how it has helped them. It’s quite something that after being here for everyone for 80 years, the service remains free, confidential and impartial - something that is more important than ever for people in such uncertain times.”

After many years leading Citizens Advice Ceredigion, Paul Hinge has stepped in to the vice-chair role and the board has welcomed new members, Ola Olusanya, Carolyn Parry and Jackie Sayce.