Our Aims and Approach
Our comprehensive service is always client centred. We aim to equip our clients with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take control of their lives. We do this through helping our clients make informed choices and decisions so that they can address their issues and solve their problems. This helps them to sustain their wellbeing and achieve financial independence.
We deliver a mix of services which integrate intervention and prevention which enables our clients to improve their own lives, but also improve policies and practices so that others benefit in the long term.
We design our services to help you create resilient and sustainable communities through empowerment and mobilisation.
As a member of the Citizens Advice service, we provide free, independent and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. Citizens Advice Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole provide a vital service, open to everyone.
We support, advise and raise our voices to improve policies and practices that affect people’s lives. We strive to remain a trusted and knowledgeable voice, and an essential resource for partners working towards positive change, such as local and national government, local businesses, education providers and our valued colleagues in other charity organisations.
Human rights, equality and diversity are embedded throughout our work. You can be yourself with us – whoever you are we will welcome you and help you. Citizens Advice challenge discrimination through the advice we give, as well as promoting equality through advocating for people .We embrace equality through our roles as employers, volunteer agencies and contractors.
Our Year in Numbers
* Numbers based on data from 2023/24
“Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is a beautiful place to live, with our golden beaches, a thriving economy, great schools and universities. Like many coastal towns however, the reality for a growing number of residents is that inequality and deprivation is rising. Over the past several years demand for our support has increased dramatically, particularly with issues surrounding benefit, debt and housing advice.
As a volunteer led charity we rely heavily on the support of our funders, the generosity of our communities and the value of partnership with other local charities, businesses, and institutions. Through this collaboration we seek to create real social change by ensuring people receive the correct advice for the problems they face and through our influence, policies and practices that affect peoples lived are improved.”
Zoe Bradley, Chief Executive Officer.
More information
Our Members
Our Members Our members are an important asset to our charity, and we welcome new members to join us. Citizens Advice Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole [...]
Governance
Citizens Advice BCP is an independent charity governed by a Board of Trustees, whose primary role is to oversee the governance of the organisation’s activities. [...]
Our Staff
Zoe Bradley | Chief Executive Officer Zoe joined Citizens Advice BCP in October 2016, her role is to lead the corporate management of the organisation [...]
Our Trustees
Jane Burrows | Chair of Trustees Jane is a member of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and served as a Principal Officer for BCP Council. [...]
Our History
The first Citizens Advice Bureaus opened in 1939 just one day after the outbreak of World War 2. This was in response to the need [...]
Annual Review
Annual Review & Impact 2022-2023. During another year of worry and uncertainty, more and more people have needed our help.
Complaints
Our approach to complaints We always aim to ensure that everyone comes to see us receives the quality advice they need to be able to [...]