CAB Advice Takes off in Hillfields

Project Launch!

Launch day at the former Refugee Centre, 10 Victoria Street, was Friday, 12 March 2004.

Coventry CAB has obtained European Funding to provide advice in the Hillfields Action Plan Area.  The project has been funded for three years enabling two CAB Caseworkers to advise at five venues.  Sue Darling, Manager of Coventry CAB said, ‘Funding from our partners and significant funds from the CAB service both locally and nationally had to be put in place to attract the award of the grant from the European Social Fund.  Our efforts in doing this are a measure of our commitment to Hillfields and to meeting advice needs in Coventry in general.’

At the project Launch, people living in the Hillfields area had the opportunity to meet the new workers, Balwant Nahal and John Veveris, and find out about the wide range of issues on which they can advise.  Balwant and John have over 20-years combined experience in giving advice, particularly on Welfare Benefits and Debt issues.  They will be able to represent clients at Social Security Appeal Tribunal and County Court hearings and negotiate on their behalf with many different kinds of organisations.  Balwant has Asian language skills and interpretation services are available on the project. 

At a time of great change in Hillfields the workers feel that they have a role to play in collaborating with other organisations in compiling Social Policy reports to remedy matters that are to the disadvantage of people in Hillfields.  They will also investigate the possibility of running (for people in the area) training courses in dealing with debt and benefit issues.

Balwant and John are in the process of contacting organisations with premises in the area to sound them out about whether they can offer venues for advice; they want a good spread of venues across the Hillfields area.  They are very pleased that WATCH has already agreed to provide a venue.

Advice sessions at the former Refugee Centre will  take place on Tuesdays 10.00am to 12.00 noon, at first on a ‘drop in basis’.

 FIND OUT MORE

ABOUT CAB ADVICE IN HILLFIELDS:

COME AND SEE US AT THE CENTRE

ANY TUESDAY

FROM TUESDAY 16^TH MARCH 2004 ON

BETWEEN

11.00AM AND 3.00PM!