Citizens' Advice Bureau in Bognor celebrates 70 years

The 70th anniversary of the national founding of Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) was marked with a cake-cutting ceremony by town MP Nick Gibb.

But the demand for assistance from the bureau was clearly shown that day. Seven people were waiting in a queue outside its doors at the town hall before it opened last Friday.

One of the trustees, Jacqui Thomas, said: "We have certainly been getting busier in the past year.

"We are probably seeing an average of 20 people a day or about 100 a week. Many of them come with several problems which need to be dealt with.

"Our biggest problem is a lack of volunteers. It takes six months to train a trained adviser and that is a big commitment for people to take on.

"We are at more than full stretch. If we have holidays and sickness coming together, we can have only two advisers on duty and we are then in real trouble.

"Things have changed dramatically in the needs of people since the CAB began the day after the second world war was declared. But there are still a lot of needs, nationally and particularly locally, which people want solved."

The bureau has about 70 volunteers '“ as advisers, receptionists and administrators '“ as well as eight paid members of staff.

Mr Gibb, the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, said: "The CAB in Bognor is hugely worthwhile. Without it, a lot of people would be in serious trouble.

"There would be a big gap in the town if we didn't have a bureau.

"It is very important that it remains and we must make sure they are here forever and are properly funded."

The Bognor CAB opened 35 years ago in Waterloo Square. It moved into its present Clarence Road premises '“ a former fire station '“ in 1995. Much of its funding comes from local authorities.

The bureau is open 9.30am-4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9.30am-7pm Wednesday.

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