Council supports new services for the community wit hthe Citizens Advice

Pictured from left are: Robin Barr, chairman of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes CAB; Councillor Andrew De Freitas, leader of the council; Liz Jones, interim head of paid service at the council; Tony Gaskins, chief executive at the CAB; and Councillor Steve Beasant.

THE Grimsby and Cleethorpes Citizens Advice Bureau has benefited from a funding boost from North East Lincolnshire Council.

The council has agreed to provide the local branch of the CAB with £540,000 in additional funding for the coming three years, which will help develop support services for the community.

This cash injection will allow the CAB to have extra interview services to dramatically increase the number of clients seen on a weekly basis, as well as allowing the reintroduction of telephone advice services, which have been unavailable for the past four years.

Tony Gaskins, chief executive of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes CAB, said: “We are ecstatic about this funding and we are very thankful to North East Lincolnshire Council for it. This shows that the council really is a forward thinking authority.

“This extra support will give us the opportunity to improve the quality of life for local residents, as well as demonstrating the value of the service we provide.”

Councillor Andrew De Freitas, leader of the council, said: “We are happy to be able to support the local Citizens Advice Bureau in this way. The money will allow them to tackle more issues relating to welfare benefits and debt, both of which are significant problems in North East Lincolnshire.”

Councillor Keith Brookes, deputy leader, said: “This is not just about tackling people’s problems, such as debt, there are also the knock-on effects on families that these problems can have. In some cases, debt can cause family breakdowns, and even increases in drug use, alcoholism or depression.”

The new interview services have already been set up locally; and the telephone advice service is to be rolled out at the end of August.