Tang Hall Advice Hub’s first year’ successes

 
Issued by City of York Council

The City of York Council-led Tang Hall Advice Hub is celebrating its first birthday this week.

To date, partners have helped residents manage nearly £250,000 of debt and identify over £40,000 of unclaimed benefits over the first 12 months, while new services are being added to the hub as need arises.

Based at the Tang Hall Community Centre and supported by centre staff – many of them volunteers – a number of partner organisations including a team of council officers and the Citizens Advice Bureau have given advice and offered support to hub visitors.

The council runs weekly drop-in sessions for tenants to meet their estate managers in addition to offering advice on housing, training and jobs.

Meanwhile, the CAB has helped 116 people with various queries ranging from immigration advice to help with money and debt management and has helped residents manage £247,169 of debt and has identified £42,953 of welfare benefits that individuals are eligible to claim.

To support people taking part in the 2013 Stoptober campaign, the NHS’s Smoking Cessation Service will be at the hub from early October to help people quit. The service joins Healthwatch at the hub which gives out information on where people can find health-related services locally.

Council officers and the CAB team are also making referrals to the York Food Bank which opened at the Community Centre as part of the hub in July 2013.

The hub was a factor in Tang Hall being named a Big Local Area and being awarded £1 million over ten years by the Big Lottery Fund.

Councillor Linsay Cunningham-Cross, Cabinet Member for Crime and Stronger Communities, said: “”The hub has clearly helped a significant number of people.

“The fact that it is run in part by a group of local residents working together with partners gives it extra strength: something recognised by the Big Lottery Fund.””

This content has not been created by YorkMix but by one of our trusted news sources. YorkMix is not responsible for the accuracy of the text.