The Citizens Advice Bureau will soon be under new management as current incumbent Martin Paley, right, prepares to depart after eight and a half years in the post.

Among the biggest challenge for the future bureau manager would be finding the required funding from an ever-shrinking public pool as public sector cuts are felt lower down the chain, according to Martin.

“Funding is the biggest single challenge and, with government cuts reaching down, you have to justify spending ever more closely. The whole funding pot is about to get smaller,” he said.

“What we have started is being far more evidence based and detail at the end of each financial year how many people we helped and in what way.

“It takes £100,000 to open the front door and you ask, ‘Where does the money come from?’ Without support from the district, county, and parish councils it would be very difficult.”

Entering the bureau nearly nine years ago, Martin admits he was in for a shock, coming from the commercial sector and suddenly finding himself attempting to come to terms with a labyrinthine benefits system.

“It was a very steep learning curve as I didn’t come from an advice background, and was learning about the benefit system. I had come from the commercial sector and found myself looking at cases where people were struggling between heating or eating, and some of them really have to choose.”

He added: “The whole thing should be dismantled.

“The main difficulty is in knowing how the system links to different parts of itself, there is no common sense structure.”

As he prepares to leave Bridport and move into a second period of retirement, Martin said he would do so with a great appreciation of the town and the culture of volunteerism of its residents.

He said: “Bridport is blessed with a never ending stream of volunteers and the town should be very proud of its community spirit, which doesn’t exist everywhere else. Everyone is involved in something.”