Advice on housing, benefits and more on offer as Citizens Advice launches new drop-in service in Wigan borough

The Citizens Advice branch in Atherton closed some time ago and a weekly drop-in service for people who use Atherton and Leigh Foodbank has proved to be extremely popular.

So the organisation is now holding monthly drop-in sessions in Atherton to offer help to anyone who needs it.

Advice will be available on a wide range of subjects and anyone can attend, not just people living in Atherton.

Lisa Kidston, chief officer for Citizens Advice Wigan Borough, said: "Launching our new Atherton drop-in is an exciting opportunity for us to improve access to our advice and is something we have been working towards for quite some time.

"As an advice charity, our aim has always been to meet the advice needs of the local community, and the current cost-of-living crisis means our services are more needed than ever. This new drop-in will hopefully improve accessibility to our vital services for those in the Atherton area, allowing them to better access free, confidential advice that will give them the confidence to make their own informed decisions and work towards improving their situation.”

Advisors will be based at Atherton Library, in Atherton Town Hall, from 9.30am to 11am on the first Wednesday of each month, with the next session on September 6.Lee McStein, councillor for Atherton South and Lilford, said: “This is a commendable move from the Citizens Advice and one that my colleagues and I strongly welcome. With more and more people feeling the cost-of-living increases and other pressures, including rising interest rates and mortgage rises, the help that the Citizen Advice can offer is needed more than ever.

"Introducing this service to the centre of Atherton further demonstrates the agility of organisations across our borough in responding to the urgent needs of our communities.”

Atherton resident Paul Blinkhorn said: “This step by the Citizens Advice is certainly welcomed locally, and I’m pleased to see how responsive they have been to residents such as myself who have been highlighting the urgency for this local provision.

“As a volunteer at Atherton and Leigh Foodbank I have seen first-hand the benefit that foodbank users have gained from the on-site support of the Citizens Advice, and it’s great to know that more of Atherton’s residents will now be able to access their free and confidential advice locally, at a time when it is so very much needed.”

Jo Platt, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Leigh and Atherton, said: “As the country faces a cost-of-living crisis driven by soaring energy, food and mortgage costs, the Citizens Advice is needed now more than ever. This service in Atherton will go a long way to help support and protect households who are currently struggling with their household bills.”

Drop-in sessions offering face-to-face advice are also held from Mondays to Thursdays at Wigan Life Centre North, from 10am to 1pm, and at Magnum House in Leigh, from 9am to noon.