08 Sep National Lottery Announces £526k Grant For Citizens Advice Cornwall

Ambitious plans by Citizens Advice to improve the prospects of more than 13,000 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been given a £526k grant from the National Lottery.

The charity aims to build on the work already underway to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence of people facing poverty following the coronavirus lockdown by breaking the cycle of dependency and helping them move forward with their lives.

CA Cornwall Chief Executive, Gill Pipkin, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that our work has been recognised by the National Lottery and we’ll be able to reach even more people in need as a result.

“We know Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly face big problems with low wages, seasonal work, high house prices and a housing shortage. This has led to increased levels of insecurity as people struggle to keep a roof over their heads, keep on top of debts and worry about benefits and employment.

“This grant will help us help people address their problems through our independent and confidential advice service and expand our programmes to lift people out of poverty with help budgeting, paying off debts, saving on energy bills and giving people the tools they need to turn their lives around.”

The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund – which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest funder of community activity in the UK – will be used to employ and train more full-time paid advisers and recruit 15 new volunteers from the community.

Last year, even during lockdown restrictions, Citizens Advice Cornwall helped more than 7,000 people with their problems, ranging from benefits and debt to housing, relationship breakdowns and employment. The charity also helps people with consumer issues and discrimination cases.

Citizens Advice Cornwall Chair, Fran Keene, said:

“The real winners from this grant will be the people of Cornwall, who will have somewhere to turn to for help and advice where and when they need it.

“This grant will help us develop and expand our services to meet the growing demand from across the county.

Ends.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest community funder in the UK – we’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. National Lottery players raise £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over £9 billion to projects that have benefited millions of people.

We are passionate about funding great ideas that matter to communities and make a difference to people’s lives. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that when people are in the lead, communities thrive. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.