To be spent on help for people in extreme circumstances
Citizens Advice Wandsworth has won major new funding for a four year project.
The Big Lottery Fund has awarded the charity over £470,000 to work in partnership with Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network, community, social and faith networks and groups to provide tailored, community-based advice and advocacy for local people facing a crisis as a result of extreme circumstances.
The project is one of 59 funded across England and will start in July 2016. Support will focus in particular on older and isolated people, people with mental health issues, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, care needs and drug and alcohol issues who are suffering hardship. It will address the underlying causes of crisis through advice on issues such as employment, homelessness, debt, and health problems.
Citizens Advice Wandsworth will train members of the community to put people in touch with the support they need to improve their circumstances, and will employ new advisers to help up to 1200 local people during the course of the project.
The advice bureau says that networks and organisations embedded deep inside communities are often the first point of contact when people experience hardship. They are best placed to identify those in need but sometimes lack the knowledge or expertise to support or refer people to appropriate services. They point out that his is where people currently fall through the gaps. They believe the funding will make a difference by putting rights-based advice and advocacy assistance into communities where it is most needed.
A network event was held in November 2015 to inform the project design.
March 31, 2016