WOKINGHAM’S CITIZENS ADVICE TO CELEBRATE 80th ANNIVERSARY By Kevin Lenton
Background
I attended The Citizen’s Advice Centre in Wokingham on 14th February 2019 to hear about the anniversary of the founding of the organisation. Note that they have recently dropped the word Bureau from their Operating Name. They were formed in Coventry and Liverpool in 1939, so this year marks their 80th year nationally, and the organisation is to celebrate that fact next September. Citizen’s Advice in Wokingham is more recent but they wish not only to share in the national celebrations but also to share the history of the organisation in Wokingham.
The meeting was hosted by Jake Morrison the CEO of the Citizen’s Advice Wokingham Branch and was attended by Jacquie Jones, an original volunteer, and later by Dennis Eyriey, its first chairman.
Formation
The Wokingham Branch was formed on 27th June 1977 and Dennis Eyriey was named as the first chairman of the Managing Committee, a post he held until 1982, and Jacquie Jones soon became Deputy Organiser. She had previously been a member of the Wokingham Volunteer Bureau (now Centre) for which she did a lot of Charity Driving, a service still provided by the Centre.
Early Days
The Bureau began in the Town Hall and the interview rooms were small and had no natural light. There was also no toilet. Everybody was a volunteer with nobody having a salary. Being in the centre of the town they also had to deal with the type of questions that the Town Council’s current Information Centre handles.
The main issues were mostly the same as for today, Benefits, Debt and Housing. Similar advice was given but it would have been much slower without computers and with everything being recorded on “Record Cards”. When computers were finally introduced some volunteers left as they did not want to use them.
Anyone was welcome; they did not have to live in the Borough as is the case today.
On the Move
When the Town Hall was refurbished, the offices were moved to a house in Langborough Road close to the junction with Gipsy Lane. They were given financial support from Peter Luff of Luff Builders. They then returned to the Town Hall.
In 1980 the Bureau moved to the Elms Road Social Club which was behind the Council Buildings in Elms Field, then to a building between W.H. Smith and the Red Lion, before moving to its current location in Erftstadt Court.
The Next Step
From a Town Council perspective, the next step was to see if there are Town Council Minutes that document the formation of the CAB. It was established that the Town Council Minutes from 1972, when it was formed, and onwards were not secured at the Berkshire Records Office but in a safe at Clifton Ingram solicitors, in Wokingham. It was arranged for me to visit them on 28th February to read through the minutes leading up to and including 1977. This is a summary of what I found.
On the 6th January 1976 the minutes for the AMENITIES COMMITTEE reported that two offices in the Town Hall had been vacated by Universal Assurance and Committee Members were asked to “consider how best to use these in the best interest of the residents of the Town.”
On the 3rd February 1976 the minutes for the AMENITIES COMMITTEE reported that the practicability of establishing a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in the vacant rooms in the Town Hall was to be investigated by seeking advice and guidance from the National Citizens Advice Bureau.
There is no record of who had suggested CAB as being the best option, nor if any other suggestions were made. I went back as far as February 1975 and there were no earlier mentions of CAB.
On the 2nd March 1976 the minutes for the AMENITIES COMMITTEE reported that a letter had been received by the Chief Executive of the National Association of CAB to say that Mrs Wendy Gardner, Advisory Officer for the Berkshire Area, would visit to check the suitability of the rooms.
At the 26th May Town Hall ANNUAL MEETING, it was recommended that the District Council should establish and maintain the CAB, paying a “peppercorn” rent for the two offices.
There were then various minutes about funding requests which came to a head on 7th September 1976 when the AMENITIES COMMITTEE reported the following: –
“In light of the Wokingham District Council’s inability to financial support unilaterally a Citizens Advice Bureau”, it was recommended to set up a CAB in the Town Hall Chambers and that the Town Council would provide funding. Funding would also be requested from neighbouring Parish Councils.
A Special Meeting of the AMENITIES COMMITTEE was held on the 16th November 1976 where Mrs Wendy Dinsdale provided advice and answered questions. Expenditure recommendations were made.
At the 14th December FINANCE AND GENERAL PURCHASE COMMITTEE, it was agreed that a CAB would be set up on the Ground Floor of the Town Hall (Rooms 3 & 4) and that a Rate provision be made. The Town Clerk had written to the Parish Councils seeking funding contributions.
At the 1st February 1977 Meeting of the AMENITIES COMMITTEE, it was reported that a CAB Steering Committee had been set up with duties and an agenda had been established.
The first Steering Committee Meeting was held on 17th February 1977.
At the 5th April 1977 Meeting of the AMENITIES COMMITTEE, it was reported that the Steering Group had stated that 18 recruits had commenced training.
At the 5th July 1977 Meeting of the AMENITIES COMMITTEE, it was reported that the Steering Group had written a letter stating that the CAB had opened on 27th June 1977 and a Committee Of Management had been formed including the members of the Steering Group.
Wokingham Town Museum Unique Identifier: WTH0555