Citizens Advice Rushmoor are turning the corner, annual impact report finds
At their AGM earlier this week, Citizens Advice Rushmoor published their Annual Review 2023/24, sharing their challenges over the last year whilst showcasing the continued value and impact of their advice services.
In his opening remarks as Chair of the Board, Andrew Levey, spoke to some the financial and operational challenges of the past 12 months, but how struck he had been by the team’s positive reaction to the restructure and redundancies at the end of 2023, as well as the retirement of Alex Hughes, former Chief Officer, at the start of 2024, after 34 years’ service.
Andrew said: “Citizens Advice Rushmoor has had a simple but compelling mission over the last 84 years – to use the power of good advice to help people solve their problems, and drive the change needed to tackle the underlying causes. Last year was, however, one of the more challenging we’ve faced as a charity. Not ourselves immune from the cost-of-living crisis, already so acutely impacting our clients, we faced a significant financial shortfall that led to the painful decision to restructure the service.
“Despite the loss of valued people and experience through redundancy, and an increasingly difficult operating environment, we have continued to deliver for those who need us most. This is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our team of staff and volunteers.”
Last year, Citizens Advice Rushmoor helped 10,706 different people with 43,046 unique issues, through 30,820 activities in 10,397 cases, plus a further 2,431 signposting queries across all our services. To just their clients, this was worth £7.10 for every pound invested in those services, with over £7,750,000 through benefits gained, debts written off, and consumer problems resolved.
Calum Stewart, Chief Officer, in presenting his report, expressed his gratitude for the valuable partnerships the charity had maintained, developed, and created over the last year to help realise its vision of helping people to face fewer problems.
Calum added: “Identifying further opportunities to work more closely with our partners, as well as with colleagues across the Citizens Advice network, we are continually striving to improve our service offer to clients and reach those who need us most. These efforts, coupled with our work to increase and diversify our income and enhance our sustainability, mean we are emerging stronger from the difficulties of the last year.
“This year’s Annual Review illustrates the staggering impact and value of the services we deliver. Our 35 staff and 50 volunteers – donating over 270 hours of time per week to our clients – are changing, and saving, lives every day through their efforts. I couldn’t be prouder to lead this team as we look forward to building on these successes during the months and years ahead. Together, we are turning the corner.”
You can read a full copy of the Annual Review 2023/24 here.