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L to R:
Volunteer Advisers - Brian Kinge, Robbie Morgan, Chris Isaac;
Manager - Hilary Forrest, Friends' Chair - Diann March;
Volunteer Advisers - Joan Taylor, Mike Lunt
EDCAB celebrates 40 years of service to the community this year. The Wimborne CAB started as an outpost from Poole, based in the Methodist Church Vestry, and became independent on 19 October 1968 when it moved into its own office at 4 Church St. The move to its present location on Hanham Road took place in November 1990, when the new premises were opened by HRH The Princess Royal. Between those dates it had established another office in Ferndown, becoming East Dorset CAB.
Today there are also outposts in Verwood Library, Heatherlands Community Centre, and at GP surgeries, and a Rural Outreach Adviser makes home visits. There are 35 trained volunteer advisers, and many other volunteers including receptionists, IT consultant and Trustees. They are supported by 1 full-time Manager and a small number of part-time paid supervisors and a Money Advice specialist.
Last year EDCAB helped 3085 clients with over 4000 problems. Financial support is provided by East Dorset District Council and other public and local organisations, which is much appreciated, but this funding does not meet all the demand for advice in the District.
Over the last 6 years EDCAB has benefited from a Lottery grant which has enabled several additional projects to run including the Money Advice service. That Lottery funding comes to an end in March, and will not be repeated. So EDCAB is facing a shortfall of over £37,000 a year, and unless significant funds can be raised the level of service will be affected. This is why the Friends of EDCAB are launching an appeal to help secure the CAB’s services for the future, and also to mark this 40th Anniversary of the founding of the service. "This may not be the best economic climate in which to approach people for support", says Diann March, Chairman of the Friends, "but the credit crunch means that the service will be needed more than ever as jobs are lost and income falls. We already have clients in negative equity", she adds.
If you would like to help make sure EDCAB continues for the next 40 years, and will be there when you or your family and friends need it, why not consider joining the Friends? A modest regular subscription or one-off donation would help. For instance £8 per month (£10 with the benefit of Gift Aid) enables EDCAB to advise 10 residents in situations such as "I’ve lost my job, what do I do now?" "My landlord wants me out"; I can’t manage on my money with everything going up" or "my wife’s disabled – is there any help?"
To donate to EDCAB, please download our tax-efficient Donation Form and send us your donation. You will receive a personal acknowledgement directly from EDCAB, and you will receive news of our future events.
Alternatively, the Charity Giving CAB web site, run by The Dove Trust, supports Citizens Advice Bureaux nationwide. You can donate to East Dorset CAB, tax efficiently and securely, using their online EDCAB web page.