Citizens' Advice Bureau on the move

The bureau, which last year dealt with 11,500 inquiries from Bexhill and rural Rother residents, is due to close on Thursday.

It will re-open for business on Monday, October 8.

As builders move out, manager Glenn Jopson and colleagues will roll up their sleeves to carry out last minutes decoration and cleaning as well as setting up desk tops, computers and information racks.

Says Glenn: "This move gives us long-term stability because we have a ten-year lease which will enable us to develop the service in pleasant surroundings for our voluntary advisers and for our clients."

It is just four years since the bureau moved into their Endwell Road premises in the expectation that they would be there for some time.

But a year ago their landlords dropped a bombshell when they said they were expanding their business and would be needing the premises some time during the forthcoming three-year lease period. So the bureau were once again looking for a new home.

Rother Voluntary Action stepped in with the offer of the ground floor premises at the Bank Chambers close by the Town Hall.

"This was an enormous relief and we are delighted that with Rother Voluntary Action we shall be creating the Rother Community Hub which we believe is the first in East Sussex", says Glenn "This is somewhere where several charities are housed under one roof.."

Fitting up the new premises will cost the bureau around 23,000.

The Friends of Rother District CAB are therefore setting up a Premises Appeal. Any business or individual who would like to make a donation can send it to the Friends' treasurer Clive Loader at 10 Broadoak Lane, Bexhill TN39 4HE.

The new bureau will have five interview rooms '“ one more than before - and spacious accommodation for the volunteer advisers.

Work will start during the coming week on replacing the uneven paving outside with a smoother surface and installing a ramp at the entrance so that access will be easy for anyone with disabilities.