Six EHDC councillors have stepped in to help keep Citizens Advice services in Petersfield for another year.
The councillors from Petersfield and surrounding villages have each put in £1,000 from their EHDC Councillor grant budget to support a new service run by the charity.
The new funding has given Citizens Advice the financial boost it needed to retain its office space in Petersfield Library, on The Square.
A reduction in funding from Petersfield Town Council, announced in March, meant the service may no longer have been able to operate in Petersfield.
However, six East Hampshire District Councillors worked quickly to grant the extra £6,000 it needs to stay in the town for another year. The councillors are Cllr David Podger, Cllr Ian James, Cllr Phil Shaw, Cllr Robert Mocatta, Cllr Jamie Matthews and Cllr Louise Bevan.
The money will help Citizens Advice East Hampshire (CAEH) set up a new service to help disabled people and those with long term health issues manage changes to the welfare system. And as part of that project they will retain their current town centre location.
Helen Drake, Citizens Advice East Hampshire, said: “I am delighted that our future in the Petersfield office in the Library is secured for the coming year.
“This office is one of the busiest in East Hampshire and our volunteers help thousands of people every year with advice and support.
“We were really worried when we heard our Petersfield Town Council funding was being cut by £10,000 this year, but it’s fantastic that six East Hampshire District Councillors have come forward with support that means we can continue to provide these vital services in the town for the moment. Every penny helps to keep our essential advice services open to local people.”
In a joint statement, the councillors said: “Citizens Advice East Hampshire does amazing work for local people.
“By combining frontline advice with campaigning and research, Citizens Advice East Hampshire not only solves residents’ problems but also works to address the root causes of hardship and inequality in the district.
“By dedicating £1,000 from each of our councillor grant funds we can make a massive difference to thousands of people across Petersfield and the surrounding area.”
Every year EHDC supports CAEH across the district with enough funding to support thousands of local people. In the financial year 2024/25 the service supported 6,651 people in East Hampshire with more than 16,000 individual issues.
Aside from the £6,000 provided by local councillors, EHDC has granted annual core funding of £186,000 to Citizens Advice East Hampshire.
In return the service reports that through its advice and support East Hampshire residents saw a total of £1,964,012 of financial benefits.
- Every councillor at EHDC has a Councillor Community Grant of £7,000 to put towards local projects and initiatives. If you think you have a project that could benefit from funding from your local councillor got to our website to find out more - Councillor community grant scheme | East Hampshire District Council
- If you would like to make a donation towards the work of Citizens Advice East Hampshire, you can do so either by emailing fundraising@caeasthants.org.uk or via a donate button on their website https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/east-hampshire/ You can also obtain details of how to access advice and support via the website or in person in one of our offices in Petersfield, Bordon and Alton.