Charity’s 50th birthday plea (From The Advertiser Series)

Charity’s 50th birthday plea

1:32pm Thursday 4th February 2010

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A CHARITY that helps people with a range of issues from debt advice to employment law has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Sedgefield and District Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) opened on April 21, 1959, to offer advice to a woman who had problems with housing.

Back then the service would help a few people each week, but today it helps about 10,000 people a year from 11 outlets.

The success is in part due to a merger of Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield to form a district organisation.

However, on the day it celebrated its anniversary, in Hardwick Hall, near Sedgefield, the organisation pleaded for help to ensure its future.

Jill Richardson, of the CAB said: “Although we are celebrating this fantastic achievement of reaching 50 years service, we are also struggling with the fact that funding is being reduced.

Every bureau is an independent charity and has to raise its own funds to provide the service.

“Whilst the recession has resulted in unprecedented demand for the service, it has also meant that we will face difficulties in securing an income so that the service will continue to exist. We are trying to secure funding from a number of new sources, but unfortunately every funder wants something new, different, when what we need is for a funder to recognise that the CAB model works.”

“This service is needed more now that it has ever been and although things are looking bleak, we still hope to be an important part of our community in another 50 years.”

Sedgefield and District CAB holds main sessions, in Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, but also has drop-in sessions and referrals at part-time outlets.

Visit cab-sedgefield.co.uk or call 0870-1212024.

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