THURROCK Council is involved in close and positive talks with the national Citizens Advice Bureau with a view to ensuring a well organised and sustainable CAB presence in the borough.
In February councillors, and council officers met with senior national CAB staff.
On 5 February, Julia Dennis, Head of Network Development and Support for the national CAB organisation wrote to the council saying: “We all agreed that we should work towards a CAB service in Thurrock that will be financially sustainable and an incorporated legal entity. It should be completely independent of the Council and its Trustee Board should be free from Council members or officers.”
In reply, Council Leader, Cllr John Kent, wrote: “Both the meeting and the letter have helped to move us forward towards a sustainable solution for Thurrock CAB, an objective we all would like to see. I am pleased that the Bureau Trustee Board agreed the way forward.”
He added that the council has offered up to £85,000 funding for next year.
Thurrock Council is currently waiting to receive the Bureau’s management plans and to receiving their transition and business plan.
The current Thurrock CAB board has members from both main political parties – Labour and Conservative – and the council wants to see an organisation that is not only capable of independently scrutinising the council, but also, in these increasingly difficult financial times, is focused on becoming self-sustaining – both aims agreed with the national Bureau Trustee Board.
