About Us
We help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Citizens Advice Caterham & Warlingham is a member of Citizens Advice Surrey which represents the Citizens Advice service across Surrey.
We operate from our bureaux based in Caterham, offering a 4 days-a-week telephone, drop-in and appointment service.
We use the information we gather carrying out this work to campaign for social justice, so that individuals do not suffer through a lack of knowledge or an inability to express themselves effectively.
As the impact of the recession continues to bite, we provide an increasingly vital front-line service for those in the greatest need in our local community.
The benefits of our work are not limited to improving our clients’ financial situation but also contribute to improving their health, reducing their stress and improving their confidence in dealing with their own problems.
Our funding
Citizens Advice Caterham & Warlingham is an independent local charity.
We depend on local funding from local authorities, local charitable trusts, local businesses and private donations. Our highly trained volunteer force, who give their free time to help local people, enable us to keep our overheads to an absolute minimum.
- Donations help us to continue providing free independent advice and to develop our services in line with local needs.
- Donating online is a safe and easy way to help us to keep our vital work going.
Who we work with
We are keen to work closely with other organisations wherever this helps us to offer a better service to our clients and to maximise the positive impact we make on people lives.
Examples of this include working with:
- Tandridge District Council and Surrey County Council to ensure that appropriate information and advice is available to local people on a range of issues including debt, benefits entitlements and housing
- Local Children’s Centres to provide advice and support to young families and single parents
- Caterham Foodbank and Trussell Trust to give food vouchers to Clients and their families to provide immediate relief from financial hardship.
Our History
Citizens Advice has provided free, confidential and independent advice for the past 70 years. Adapting to the ever changing needs of society has made Citizens Advice the most recognised and trusted provider of information and advice in the country.
As an established part of many local communities we are in almost every town and city in the country. Our service is very well known, with 95% of the public aware of it (MORI 2005).
We have been helping local people in Caterham & Warlingham since 1962. We predominately deal with clients from the small towns of Caterham and Warlingham but also cover other rural parts of the surrounding county area. We deliver a generalist advice service and specialist debt advice through our volunteer adviser network. The bureau in Caterham Valley is open four days a week and we offer outreach services at a day centre on Caterham-on-the Hill, three Sure Start Centres in the local area and at Warlingham Library.
In 2012/2013 Statistics
Over 740 unique clients seen
Over 3950 issues handled
Over £965,000 of debt managed (51 debt clients)
We are currently collating data to determine the charitable and other financial gains achieved for clients and the total amount of debt that has been written-off
11 families saved from homelessness
Our Value to the Community
Every year our 15+ highly-skilled volunteers and their work is estimated to be worth well over £75,000.
We have a positive financial impact locally of over £10 million by:
- helping clients secure financial entitlements
- saving families from homelessness
- rescheduling debt
Value of Volunteering
We have over 15 volunteers working with us in a wide range of roles, including advisers, receptionists, administrators, and campaigners.
As well as the direct benefits to our clients volunteering helps people to build relationships, networks and bonds of trust. It is widely recognised as having a positive impact on local communities, and is often described as “the glue that holds communities together.” It also raised individual’s aspirations, encourages community participation and is part of the Government’s “Big Society” vision for strong, active and empowered communities.
