CAB appeals for help fall on deaf ears (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

CAB appeals for help fall on deaf ears

3:00pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By Rene Gerryts

AN APPEAL to Bridport businesses to help the Citizens’ Advice Bureau has fallen on deaf ears.

Out of 39 businesses in Bridport only four responded to the call for help and a meeting planned for last week with MP Oliver Letwin has had be cancelled.

CAB trusteee Roy Tarsnane said: “The chairman personally wrote to 39 local businesses to invite them to a meeting with us and Oliver Letwin so we could tell them what we do, show our problem in funding, and plead for help.

“Sadly, only four have responded, and of these only Magna has offered to help so we have cancelled this meeting.”

The trustee board met recently to agree the way forward.

Mr Tarsnane added: “However, we want to make it quite clear that the bureau will not close.

“In fact, the future workload is predicted to increase in 2013 as the new welfare reforms take effect so the bureau is gearing up for more work, not less.

“However, we need funding to do it and that is what we are determined to achieve.”

In September the CAB tried to find three trustees, skilled in publicity, fundraising and IT, to help it avoid a funding deficit over the next three years.

That appeal too fell on deaf ears said Mr Tarsnane.

No trustees came forward but Crystal Johnson, who was instrumental in the successful lottery funding bid for the town hall and is working to get the old Literary Institute back into use, has agreed to help find funding for them.

Mr Tarsnane said: “We are optimistic that her expertise will succeed.

The chairman of the CAB Bruce Willoughby said: “We help the community get back more than £800,000 a year, yet we find it difficult to cope with our own increasing financial pressures. We need help to do this.”