Who We Are
Cambridge and District Citizens Advice is a registered charity that provides free, confidential, impartial advice and support to anyone on any problems they face in their lives.
We undertake research and campaigning to improve the policies and practices that affect us all.
We offer help in relation to a wide range of social welfare areas. We can help you enforce employment rights, manage your money, improve your housing, and access benefit entitlements. We promote consumer rights, such as protecting people from scams and rogue traders.
Cambridge & District Citizens Advice is part of a network of around 320 other local Citizens Advice Offices. We are all regulated by, and members of, National Citizens Advice who audit the quality of our work regularly.
Our work is also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and our Money Advisers are all members of the Institute of Money Advisers.
Our service aims
We provide free, independent, non-judgemental, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.
Our service aims to:
- To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
- To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives
- To be proactive where possible and reactive when necessary
Our Governance
Cambridge & District Citizens Advice is a registered charity (no. 1056102), a registered company (no. 3191085), authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (no. FRN 617537).
We are a member of the national Citizens Advice network.
The activities of the organisation are overseen by a Board of Trustees who also set its overall strategy. The day-to-day running of the organisation is devolved to the Chief Executive.
Our Board of Trustees bring a vast range of skills and experience to Cambridge Citizens Advice. Their backgrounds incorporate expertise from charity work, academia, business and many other areas.
Our current Board of Trustees are:
- Heather Du Quesnay CBE (Chair)
- Ashleigh Bridges
- Duncan Cook
- Debbie Whitfield
- Richard French
Our Trustee Board is also supported by our Patrons:
- Lady Chadwyck – Healey
- Dr Pamela Raspe
- Cazzy Walshe
- Marion Cable
- Abdul Arain
- Chris Powell
- Marie Canning
Our history
Cambridge & District Citizens Advice was one of the first Citizens Advice offices to be set up in 1939 at the start of World War II. We were created to advise people on practical and legal issues connected with the war. These included rationing, housing, blackouts and financial issues.
Things did not get much easier for people after the war. This meant that the Citizens Advice service was still necessary to provide support and advice on a growing number of problems, including around benefits from the new welfare system set up in 1948.
Over the years, the exact nature of the problems people have shared with us has continued to change, as have the ways in which we deliver advice. We used to deliver advice using horse carts and now there are over 320 local Citizens Advice offices.
Our office in 1983