About Us

The Citizens Advice Canterbury District service is part of the national Citizens Advice network, however we are our own independent charity.

We have a volunteer board of Trustees, with the day to day management of the organisation being run by the Chief Officer and the District Service Manager.

The Citizens Advice Service Aims:

To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives

The Citizens Advice Service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

We have offices in Canterbury and Herne Bay and operate an Outreach service from Whitstable.

We offer practical, up-to-date information and advice on a wide range of topics, including; debt, benefits, housing, legal, discrimination, employment, immigration, consumer and other problems.

Our advice is available to everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, nationality, disability or religion.

For further information about some of our most recent projects and stats on the numbers of local people we have helped please see our Annual Reports.

History

The national Citizens Advice Bureau organisation was founded in 1939, just after the outbreak of War. From the start, volunteers ran the service working from public buildings and private houses.

In the Canterbury area, our first office was founded in Herne Bay on 1st April 1940 in the local library. Advisers dealt with problems relating to the loss of ration books, homelessness and evacuation. They also helped locate missing relatives and prisoners of war. Debt quickly became a key issue as incomes reduced due to call-ups to the Army.