Citizens Advice Carlisle And Eden

If you or someone you love is heading off to prom and finances are difficult, please check out You Sall Go To The Ball Carlisle. No one should have to miss out on such a special event because of worries about affording the right clothes or accessories.
Went to prom last year? Why not donate your suits and sparkles so others can enjoy? ;)

This week is #BESW20, Best Energy Savings Week 2020, and it's all about saving your money on your energy bills and learning about energy efficiency.
Please do join us for one of the drop in sessions, detailed below, or contact us to arrange an appointment if you can't make a drop in. Please let neighbours and friends know who may find a session helpful.

Big Energy Savings Week 2020 starts tomorrow!
Please do make a note of our drop in sessions, and bring along any friends, neighbours or relatives that may find some energy advice helpful.

We will be open as usual on Monday 23/12.
We are then opening our Carlisle office 10am-3.30pm on Friday 27/12. Our usual opening hours resume from 02/01.
During the holiday period we will be prioritising those with emergencies and urgent enquiries. Please do check our website for help and information if you have a non-urgent enquiry: www.ca-ce.org.uk.

Today is the last day to register to vote for the general election on 12th Dec.
If you want or need to vote by post, there is actually less than 2 hours left (deadline is 5pm).
Like it or not, this election is happening. Every vote really does matter. Please don't think you are not important. You are. Your experiences are. Your vote is your voice, your right and your choice.
... https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
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It's Cumbria Kindness Day today! How cool is that?!!!
If you've not planned anything, please consider taking a few minutes to do something you wouldn't normally just to put some extra kindness in the universe! Perhaps you could make a donation to your favourite charity (like us maybe?!!), offer a neighbour a lift, bake a cake for someone or even just smile at strangers?!
Whatever your plans, have a wonderful day.

Why not pop Wednesday 13th November in your diary? It's Cumbria Kindness Day, a great excuse for folk all over Cumbria to do something kind... Not that we need an excuse!
You can find out more info here: www.cumbriaaction.org.uk/What-We-Do/Neigh bourliness-Work. Could you offer a neighbour a lift? Get their shopping for them? Bake a cake for someone? Visit a care home or make a donation to a local school? If you would like to donate some biscuits to us, our offices open at 10am! ;)

Eden Volunteering Fair is on Wednesday 6 November 2019, 12pm until 1.30pm at Penrith Methodist Church. Really hope to see you there! :)

We need volunteers across Cumbria! If you'd like to be part of a team that works really hard to help others, makes a massive difference, and has great biscuit selections- please do get in touch! :)

Our local offices in Cumbria are recruiting volunteers... We're interested in students needing to gain experience, retirees wanting to utilise professional skills, good listeners, those who are tech savvie, excellent administrators; those with a few hours or a few days they can commit to long term- we offer in-depth training and great cups of tea.
Whatever your age, circumstances or skills please do get in touch with us if you'd like more information. We can't offer services without our brilliant volunteers.

We love Cumbria and the lovely folk living, working and studying here! If you're a "people person" with some time to offer, please contact your local office to have a no-obligation chat about our volunteering opportunities!

This is an interesting report from Shelter about the relationship between homelessness and Universal Credit. Recognising that the aim of Universal Credit is to "make work pay" and reflect how people are paid when in work, there are several ways that Universal Credit currently hinders rather than helps this aim.
Problems with welfare benefits are not just relevant to those on the benefits. No-one is immune from financial difficulty or losing their home, or from getting sick or going through relationship breakdown. This affects us all.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/…/…/re port_from_the_frontline

This month local Citizens Advice offices in Cumbria are recruiting volunteers. It's our 80th birthday today and we want to make sure we are around for another 80 years to give people the help they need.... We can't do what we do without people like you!

If referring or signposting a client to us, please let them know our opening times: http://www.cac-e.org.uk/contact-us/.
We do not have volunteers available when we are not open, and increasingly clients arrive to be told we cannot help, which is not something we ever want to say!

Our Penrith office is open today after the bank holiday weekend, and Carlisle will be open tomorrow (Wednesday).
Our opening hours are available on our website (www.ca-ce.org.uk). Please do not visit our offices when we are not open, unless you have a pre-arranged appointment. On days we are not open, we do not have anyone available that can help you.
Our website has details of all the ways you can get in touch with us.

As stated on our website (http://www.cac-e.org.uk/contact-us/), our service is currently in extremely high demand. Our drop in sessions often have long waits and it may be harder to reach us by phone. We are a small charity and the needs we help with are varied, increasing and crucial for our clients. This week has been especially busy we advertise our new vacancies and several staff have been unwell.
Our volunteers have done a fantastic job. Seriously fantastic. We're here because they're here. So happy bank holiday to weekend especially to them- hopefully it'll be restful and sunny for you! :)

A power cut is affecting our building in Carlisle. The Job Centre has no power and our lift is not working. Please contact us urgently if you have an appointment here today and the stairs will be difficult for you.