A welcome announcement today by Citizens Advice Bureau, Westhill. The Money Advice Service has launched in Aberdeenshire thanks to our local CAB. The service is free, impartial and confidential and is aimed at anyone who wants to understand more about their money and feel more in control of their finances. Eveline Crossan, manager of the Westhill and District Citizens Advice Bureau said “The Money Advice Service aims to help people who want to control their money better or whose circumstances have changed or may change.

“Retirement, ill health, further education, starting work, starting a family, concerns about owing money or buying or renting a home, budgeting to save, providing a personal pension are examples of the range of money matters the adviser will deal with”.

The Westhill bureau will offer one-to-one sessions initially and then develop a network across Aberdeenshire where the money adviser can meet customers.

At the AGM of Citizens Advice Bureau Westhill and District last week, I was very sad to resign as a director of the organisation. I first became involved back in 2005 when Aberdeenshire Council advertised a public meeting looking for volunteers to help set up an independent advice centre. That initial meeting led me to be part of a steering group which saw the advice centre open in the Old School House a few hours a week with our only assets being a filing cabinet, a laptop, intermittent internet connection and a handful of advisers.

Over the next few years the committee started off the process of achieving CAB status, attracting funding and finding new premises.

Since CAB status was achieved, the move to bigger premises in the shopping centre,  2 paid staff being employed and further funding awarded, the service has really gone from strength to strength.

In 2012/2013, during 1900 client meetings, the CAB dealt with 7500 issues and 3400 actions. They gained £1,013,000 for their clients – much of it available to be spent in the local community. The total cost of operating the bureau was £75,150. For every £1 of that annual cost, the financial gain for clients was £13.50.

Banchory Advice Centre has agreed to join the Westhill branch in 2013/2014 to form an enlarged bureau.

I support 100% the volunteers and paid staff – they work extremely hard for local residents for advancement of education, human rights, health, community development and for relief of those in need.

I wish the Board every success in the future. Remember if you have spare time or spare cash – the CAB needs you!

I was delighted to hear today that Post Office have decided, with the subpostmaster’s agreement, to change our local Post Office branch in to one of the new main style branches. This will mean a newly refurbished branch providing a modern open plan environment for customers, the same products and services, longer opening hours and selected Post Office services will also be available at the retail counter during shop opening hours (0700-2200 hrs Mon-Sun).

The new opening hours for the Post Office will be Mon-Sat 0900-1730.

Our new-look Post Office is scheduled to open on Thursday 4 July 2013 at 0900 hrs. It will mean the branch will close for refurbishment on Wednesday 26 June at 1300 hrs. There are alternative Post Office branches at Kingswells or Lewis Drive in Aberdeen or of course if you are heading the other direction, Echt and Dunecht.

I know a lot of residents in Westhill feel that the Post Office space is cramped at present and the staff must feel the same. It will be great to have these improvements.

Grampian Family Support Forum are trying to recruit new members from across the Grampian Region.

For further details please see letter below, email grampianfsgforum@yahoo.co.uk or call 07511 682824

Circulation letter February 2013

A new report by the Fraser of Allander Institute has calculated that Scottish Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) advice saves the economy over £60m per year in costs that would otherwise be borne by the NHS, the benefits system and homelessness services.

In addition, the report finds that Scottish CAB advice puts £63m back in the pockets of Scottish CAB clients, and that this money – when spent in shops and services – supports nearly 1,250 Scottish jobs, and wages of around £27m.

Publishing the report, Citizens Advice Scotland Chief Executive Margaret Lynch says:

“We have always known that CAB advice has an economic value as well as a social value. It stands to reason that if you prevent someone from becoming homeless or getting ill, that will save the taxpayer the money that would otherwise have been spent to support that person in the long run. But this is the first time the amount of money has been calculated by an independent study, and the figures are quite remarkable.

“To those of us who work in the CAB service, the main value of our advice is in the personal relief that we bring to the hundreds of thousands of people who come to us in crisis. Last year Scotland’s CAB advisers dealt with half a million issues. And to the advisers who look into their eyes, every one of those clients is much more than a statistic.

“There is nothing theoretical about the work our advisers do every day. Someone comes through the door, perhaps in tears or deeply distressed because they can’t pay a bill and are drowning in debt, have had benefit cut so need advice on accessing food parcels, or they are being discriminated against or bullied at work. To help that person, and see them leave with a smile on their face and some hope in their eyes, is the main purpose of CAB work as far as we are concerned.

“But of course it’s also the case that by solving such problems we also save the taxpayer huge amounts of money and it’s extremely important that we now have that value quantified. This independent report is the most detailed study ever made of that issue. And the figures are very telling. Particularly when you consider that the report itself says its conclusions are conservative, and probably under-estimate the real impact we have.”

Margaret Lynch believes the report has an important message in terms of long-term funding of the service. She says:

“The number of Scots seeking CAB advice has never been higher, and is rising every year – particularly as people feel the impact of the drastic changes to the welfare system. The service is having to deliver more and more with fewer and fewer resources. If we are to continue to deliver this high quality service, we need to be given the proper support.

“The clear message of this report is that Scotland needs a strong CAB service, not just for social reasons but for economic reasons too. We hope that governments and local authorities will see that.”

For Westhill CAB opening times and outreach sessions please see link below:

http://www.westhillcab.org/where-and-when

Aberdeenshire Council has launched a Street Cleansing Survey to find out what residents think about the appearance of their local area.

The new survey, which is available online now and will be live until Friday, November 9, 2012, gives people a chance to air their views on litter, the provision of street cleansing services, and what improvements they would like to see.

The results of the survey will be analysed by the Waste Management service and will also be published on the council’s website.

Chairman of the Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Peter Argyle, said: “This is an important opportunity for local people to tell the council how they feel the street cleansing service is being provided in their area.

“I would urge people to get involved, complete the survey, and tell us how they feel.”

Committee vice-chair, Cllr Alan Buchan, said: “This is a great way for people to make sure their voices are being heard and the council will consider all responses to the survey.”

To complete the survey go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/aberdeenshirestreetcleansing or go to www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/waste and follow the links.

Anyone who does not have access to the internet can phone Wasteline on 0845 600 3 900 and ask for a paper copy to be posted.

Local residents want to access these types of government services at the Post Office. Without this work, our post offices will struggle to survive.

The government will soon decide whether people can continue to obtain driving licences, vehicle tax discs and other DVLA services at post offices.

Please help ensure the Post Office can continue to offer this, as well as other vital central and local government services.

Please write to your MP, Sir Robert Smith at Banchory Business Centre, Burn o’Bennie Road, Banchory, AB31 5ZU or email: robert.smith.mp@parliament.uk

Or alternatively contact me and I will be happy to pass on your details to him.

Remember this Saturday 4th August, 10-11am in Westhill Library, I will be available for consultation on local issues. It’s a busy Saturday morning in the town this weekend – if you are visiting the Farmers’ Market or the Lions Book Sale, pop across the road to the library. No appointment necessary!

A free mediation service offered by Aberdeenshire Council, in conjunction with an independent charity, is designed to help residents resolve disagreements peacefully and informally.

The Aberdeenshire Community Mediation Service can help local people to resolve problems between neighbours and other groups, relating to a wide range of issues including noise, parking, rubbish, pets, fences and damage to property.

Noise problems are the biggest cause for neighbour complaints which are referred for mediation in Aberdeenshire, followed by antisocial behaviour and property disputes.

The mediation service, established in 2004, is managed by community justice charity Sacro and funded by Aberdeenshire Council’s housing service and the Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership.

During 2011/12 the service success rate increased to 88% of all cases which used mediation ending in agreement.

Residents can refer themselves to the service by phoning 01224 560570, or by writing to the Aberdeenshire Community Mediation Service, 110 Crown Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6HJ. For more information on the service visit: www.sacro.org.uk.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Social Work & Housing Committee, Cllr Karen Clark, said: “Mediation is a useful way for neighbours or other groups to have arguments resolved peacefully and without having to resort to more formal measures.

“The mediation service has a high success rate and I would encourage anybody who feels that they need help to resolve a disagreement to get in touch for some free advice and support.”

Committee vice-chair, Cllr Alisan Norrie, said: “Often people caught up in long-running disputes with others in their community can feel like they are on their own. This mediation service is offered to help resolve disagreements as quickly and fairly as possible.”

Sacro service manager, Tracy Mackie, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council to ensure that all residents have the opportunity to resolve neighbour issues in a structured, successful and sustainable way through an independent, accredited service.”

Aberdeenshire Council also offers a service to homeowners and private tenants who witness or experience antisocial behaviour in their community. Specialist Antisocial Behaviour Support officers can provide advice and guidance on a variety of antisocial behaviour issues, such as noisy neighbours, verbal abuse and property damage.

For more information phone the council’s general enquiries number on 08456 081207.

Citizens Advice Bureau held their AGM last week. The Directors’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2012 showed £647,321 in client financial gain. This means that local people, with the help of the CAB, have been able to reclaim and spend this sum of money in the local economy. The bureau dealt with 8,191 separate client issues utilising 4,120 volunteer hours.

The service has really gone from strength to strength since inception as a local advice centre back in 2006. Now with 33 volunteers, 8 volunteer board members and 2 part time staff, the bureau also operates an outreach service in Aboyne and Alford.

The principal sources of funding are Citizens Advice Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council although many hours of hard work is undertaken by volunteers researching and applying for various grants as well as local fundraising initiatives throughout the year.

Let’s hope that the CAB will have many more successful years and be able to help even more people on a wide range of issues that face us on a daily basis. Remember all advice is free, confidential and impartial. The Citizens Advice Bureau is not a government agency.