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A statement from the volunteer staff at Potters Bar CAB The Board of Trustees of Citizens Advice Bureau Service in Hertsmere plan to close the CAB in Potters Bar and Bushey and operate the service from Borehamwood. The Borehamwood bureau would operate as normal with increased resources, the two premises in Potters Bar and Bushey would close and one paid 'outreach adviser' would provide three sessions a week, 10am to 1pm in a hired room in Potters Bar. This paid adviser would only give basic information and advice, by appointment, with no in depth casework or follow-up work. The present volunteer advisers would be scrapped. A telephone service would be provided on two lines, once again from Borehamwood. This will very drastically cut the number of people who can use the CAB and there is nowhere else for most of these clients to go. In addition the premises in the Wyllotts Centre at Potters Bar were purpose built for the CAB, if these are lost, the service could never be built again. How could premises with a waiting room, three interview rooms and office area be found in crowded Potters Bar? Potters Bar CAB provides other services such as the only large source of information leaflets on many subjects, the popular cost price sale of Enduring Power of Attorney forms, solicitors lists, many benefit forms and court forms. There is nowhere else in Potters Bar or surrounding area for this. This loss would follow the slow seeping of other services to Borehamwood - social services, adult education and the recent proposal for closure of the Darkes Lane Post Office. The CAB is one of the last information sources in Potters Bar - whereas Borehamwood have many places: the Civic Centre, a Job Centre, Social Services, Oaklands College, Worknet, and a large CAB. How are people to get to Borehamwood? An hourly bus service sometimes unreliable. This decision by the Trustees is being pushed through the Board over the Christmas holiday. Staff were informed at a week's notice and have been told there are no other options, so any consultation is meaningless. The staff at Potters Bar CAB are asking the Trustees to think again and to re-think their proposed structure dividing the service more equally between the three bureaux in Hertsmere. They have substantial reserves and staff feel that this money should be used for a year to fund the £35,000 deficit we are told will happen next year. This would give the new district Director time to increase the funding to fill this deficit. As this is one of her major tasks, staff feel she should be given the chance to fulfil it. She officially starts work on January 10th, the day before the Board meets to ratify the closure plan. Hertsmere Borough Council have generously funded the CAB over many years although the last two years have seen a standstill funding. Staff are not criticising the Council, they know that the Council itself has financial dfiiculties. But they are calling on the Council to talk to the CAB board about spreading the CAB service evenly over the whole of Hertsmere and not just providing one super service in Borehamwood. And to save the premises. Potters Bar CAB volunteer staff ask the people of Potters Bar and surrounding area for their support - please write to the Chair of the Trustees, Don Bootle (who is a Potters Bar resident) at CAB Service in Hertsmere, Allum Lane Community Centre, Elstree, WD6 3PJ, please send a copy to your local councillor or to the Chief Executive of Hertsmere Council at the Civic Centre, Borehamwood WD6 1WA. Please send a copy to Potters Bar CAB at the Wyllyotts Centre, EN6 2HN. Come to the public meeting if you can. Simon Hensby, Volunteer Representative, Potters Bar CAB |