The Westhill and District Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has been awarded £82,722 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Support and Connect programme to pay for an outreach support worker for a period of 20 months.

The development will allow home visits for people who cannot access existing services as well as other initiatves, including advice sessions in locations such as Ballater, Braemar and Tarland.

Westhill and District CAB covers an area of 1,200 square miles and already runs outreach services in Aboyne, Alford and Banchory.

Manager Eveline Crossan said “We are trying to make sure that people have access to the service before it reaches crisis point – for example being pursued for insurmountable debt.

“We’ve had to turn down some clients in the past – not very many – because we didn’t have the resources to be able to get the service to them, which we’ll be able to do now”.

The Support and Connect programme provides funding for organisations offering welfare advice, financial skills, training and services, as well as action to address food and fuel poverty and provide clothing and household goods.