Absolute Comments On New Home For Expanding Citizens Advice Bureau

May 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Absolute, a Chelmsford-based sales and marketing company, heard today how an expanding charity is set to move into bigger premises meaning more people in Chelmsford can receive help. Chelmsford’s Citizens Advice Bureau is becoming increasingly important as the number of people seeking help has risen from about 2,500 per year a decade ago to 6,000 per year.

Russ Mynott, the charity's chief executive, will pick up the keys for the new premises next week when the charity will move from Broomfield Road to part of the Civic Centre, in Duke Street, along with the town’s Council for Voluntary Service. The current base has visitors crammed into a tiny waiting room and some of the charity's workers shoe-horned into a temporary unit.

Our source at Absolute said, “The Citizens Advice Bureau is a really important fixture in the town, and it can only be a good thing that it will be able to help more people.”

The move to Coval Lane has been backed by Chelmsford Council, with the authority giving £300,000 towards revamping the site. Mr Mynott said it is a huge vote of confidence in the charity’s work. He added, “The council has been excellent and backed us consistently.”

Mr Mynott, who praised the team of workers and volunteers around him, said the charity wants to use the new premises as a springboard to introduce new ideas. The aim of the charity is to reach more people, partly by educating them on how they can help themselves and also by reaching those who can be overlooked.

Mr Mynott said, “We want to give people the tools to tackle their own problems as most resources are available online. We also want to get out to people in rural areas and we try to help businesses so they can become a success and contribute to the local economy.”

“I’ve had to use the service myself a few times,” said our source at Absolute, “It’s a really invaluable source of information for everyone really, for a wide range of issues.”

The charity has already recruited more than 30 new volunteers thanks to an appeal in the Weekly News and is now keen to attract supporters with a range of skills. Mr Mynott said an IT expert who could set up a website for the charity would be welcome, among others.

The new building will open on May 14.