Major Asda grant for IW Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice are the recipients of the first major grant to be awarded by Asda on the Island. They are to have a purpose built advice pod installed at Aspire, Ryde, with phone and internet, giving them a permanent home in the much loved community building and creating a private space to give information and advice. Asda are contributing £4,152.72 towards the project.

Gretel Ingham from Citizens Advice said: “This is an exciting step forward in our journey to extend our charity’s services in Ryde. We are looking forward to getting this project up and running as quickly as we can.”

Clare Jones, Asda Community Champion added: “I am especially pleased to have worked with Gretel to secure the funding for the CAB Pod in Aspire. When I heard how many individuals and families would benefit from the confidential space, internet access and direct advice from CAB, I was determined to ensure that this would be my 1st Significant Grant awarded by Asda Foundation for the Island Community.”

Jess Higgins, Aspire Project Support said: “We are thrilled to be working with Citizens Advice IW on this project and feel lucky to have earned this grant from Asda, it will be put to really good use, making sure the advice services operating from this building finally have a proper base.”

Citizens Advice IW work across the Isle of Wight and make sure that they take their services out to the community, running Advice sessions in locations in Freshwater, Cowes, Newport, East Cowes, Sandown, Ventnor and Ryde. Around 20 percent of the 7,000 local people that Citizens Advice IW helped with free advice last year came from Ryde and 53 per cent of these had a disability or long term health condition.

Sandy Belfitt, the Citizens Advice General Service Manager thinks it is important that Citizens Advice services are out in the communities, saying: “We want to make sure people who need us can access us as easily as possible. If you’re not sure if we have a location near you, just ring 823898 to find out and book an appointment.”