News / Local CAB office celebrates turning 25
STAFF, volunteers and supporters past and present gathered to celebrate 25 years of the Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau on Tuesday.
Around 40 people attended the AGM at Market House, which featured a speech by Citizens Advice Scotland’s Highlands and Islands development officer Carol Greer.
Greer paid tribute to all staff, volunteers and board members involved in the local service over the past quarter of a century.
She said there had been a “phenomenal” change in the service since 1992, when it first opened in tiny, cramped offices on Commercial Street.
The offices are now situated at Market House and act as a first-line source of advice on a great number of issues, including employment, housing and finance concerns.
In particular the nature of enquiries has changed both locally and nationally. While initially advice centered mainly on consumer complaints, it is now advice on benefits and debt issues which make up the majority of cases, with CAB Shetland’s 2016-17 annual report showing that benefits advice alone accounts for 50 per cent of all enquiries.
Manager Karen Eunson reflected on a busy and successful year for the bureau, with over 2,000 people receiving help and over a million pounds raised for clients.
In addition, funding for the service is in a healthy state for the time being, though it will be a “constant challenge” to keep the organisation’s finances secure for the next 25 years.
The past year saw the launch of a new energy advice service for households facing problematic fuel bills. Also, an outreach programme of drop-in sessions in health centres has enabled the service to reach vulnerable people in Shetland’s more remote communities.
In addition, chairman Gordon Mitchell was awarded a certificate marking 20 years of service to the bureau.
The hard work of volunteers giving all kinds of advice to clients is integral to the bureau’s success, with CAB Shetland encouraging anyone interested in joining their team to get in touch.
Patrick Mainland
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