Citizens Advice North Nottinghamshire provides free, expert, confidential and impartial advice to residents in the Bassetlaw and Mansfield areas.
The organisation offers support with a wide range of issues. Advisers can help with welfare benefits, including identifying entitlements, completing forms and drafting letters. There are also specialist teams who assist with debt, housing and energy concerns, alongside support with employment matters, consumer issues and more.
During the past year, Citizens Advice North Nottinghamshire supported more than 10,000 clients across over 50,000 appointments, helping people resolve more than 33,000 issues across the Bassetlaw and Mansfield area. One person they supported was Sandra, who had been renting privately for several years. She had received a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice twice in four years and was about to face a third. Having recently retired, she did not want to move again and was desperate to find a permanent housing solution.
Sandra had some savings, but not enough to buy a property, and she did not qualify for social housing. The situation was taking a serious toll on her wellbeing. After speaking with Samaritans, she was advised to contact her local Citizens Advice. Sandra says that when she called, the person who answered the phone was empathetic, patient and helpful. She was told that Citizens Advice North Nottinghamshire runs a housing drop-in session at Mansfield Civic Centre every Wednesday. When she attended, she was greeted calmly and with respect. She was able to talk to the person at the front desk, while a colleague offered support and reassurance. A specialist housing caseworker then joined her to discuss the situation.
The caseworker took time to understand the difficulties Sandra was facing and helped calm the situation with her current tenancy. They also emailed her information about possible housing options. Sandra has now accepted an offer for shared ownership on a property that suits her needs. Sandra said: “This is far more than I could ever have dared to dream of. I cannot explain how much this means and just how grateful I am to the team at Citizens Advice North Nottinghamshire.”
Anyone who needs help and support can visit Citizens Advice North Nottinghamshire at the following locations:
- Worksop, Bridge Street – open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm. A welfare benefits drop-in session is also held on the last Thursday of each month from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
- Retford Town Hall – open Tuesday, Thursday 9.30am to 2.30pm.
- Mansfield Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield, NG19 7BH – open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm. A housing drop-in session also takes place every Wednesday from 9.30am to 2.00pm.
Outreach services are also available at:
- Harworth and Bircotes Town Hall – every second Thursday 9.30am to 1.30pm.
- Warsop Town Hall – Wednesdays 9.00am to 1.00pm.
- St Peter’s Church, Mansfield – Wednesdays 10.00am to 12.30pm.
- The Stables, Mansfield Woodhouse – Mondays, Thursdays 1.30pm to 3.45pm.
Support is also available by calling 0300 5612800 and leaving your details, emailing advice@canns.org.uk or visiting http://www.canns.org.uk.