Calderdale banks to take part in innovative partnership with Citizens Advice

The partnership sees Yorkshire Building Society fund Citizens Advice advisers to hold free, confidential appointments one day a week on Mondays at the Society’s Brighouse branch on Bethel Street.

The new partnership in Brighouse forms part of the significant expansion of the programme that initially piloted across six of the Society’s branches in Yorkshire last year and has already benefitted more than 530 people.

Following the success of the pilot, the expansion has trebled the number of branches offering the scheme to 18 across Yorkshire and the North West region.

Peter Jowett, branch manager of the Yorkshire Building Society branch in Brighouse, said: “The current economic climate with rising inflation, energy price increases and general cost of living pressures has brought into stark relief the issues that many people are facing around financial wellbeing.

“We are committed to enhance existing initiatives and establish new schemes to help people of all ages and stages of life with financial resilience.

“Our partnership with Citizens Advice is a great initiative for both organisations to be able to increase the offering of support to our community here in Brighouse. This partnership also forms part of £1.8 million in investment into communities around the UK in 2021 and 2022 that we are using to help target those who need it most.”

The appointments are open to everyone in the community, not only Yorkshire Building Society customers. The Citizens Advice advisers will offer independent advice in private meeting rooms to assist people with a wide range of issues, including financial well-being.

Each appointment is up to 60 minutes long and can be booked directly by contacting the Brighouse branch.

Caroline Jones, CEO of Citizens Advice Calderdale, said: “This partnership will help more people get the advice they need. As the cost of living crisis hits everyone in our community, we know that many more people are going to need our help. We urge anyone that needs support to get in touch with us.”

The 18 Yorkshire Building Society branches running the scheme are Ashton-Under-Lyne, Barnsley, Bolton, Brighouse, Castleford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Rothwell, Sheffield, Stockport, Wakefield and York.

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