Citizen’s Advice makes move to Richmond
CAB coordinator Lenka Caslavska, left, and volunteer Mattie, are seeing out the final days at the Nelson building. Photo: Dean Michalak.
BY DEAN MICHALAK
For the past 20 years the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has been a cornerstone of the Nelson community, assisting the region’s residents with a wide range of topics.
This includes helping people understand their rights and responsibilities, providing information about educational opportunities, social events, and more.
Due to Nelson City Council’s plans to deconstruct the building to make way for an upgraded wastewater pump station, the bureau will be relocating to 9a Cambridge St in Richmond from the beginning of April. As a result, CAB will be closed from 28 March until 7 April.
According to CAB coordinator Lenka Caslavska, a lot of former-refugees and older people located in Nelson were utilising CAB’s physical presence in Nelson.
The demand for these services has been steadily increasing, especially since the Covid pandemic.
To ensure support for that demand, CAB will reopen on 7 April in Richmond, while also maintaining their bureau in Nelson for now, opening only Mondays and Fridays.
In the end, it is all just about offering an open ear, and even though that relocation brings a lot of change, it also has the positive side to it that Richmond locals might be more open to reach out for help.