THE boss of the Thurrock Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), Mike Rawlings has spoken to YT in order to, as he says, put the record straight over the bitter battle over the future of the advice centre.
Mr Rawlings believes that the CAB is the victim of a virtual coup d’etat by the Labour run, Thurrock Council. A coup, that along with a smear campaign against him is designed to oust the staff at the Thurrock branch.
Many believe that the CAB are being punished for exposing the "bully boy tactics" of a number of council departments, including debt payments and housing.
According to Mr Rawlings, the independent trustees at the CAB have all left over the last six months, leavigng a rump of Labour councillors, council officers and a former Labour mayor.
The Trustees of Thurrock CAB, registered charity 270471 as listed on the Charity Commission website are:
Barrie Lawrence (acting chair) ex-mayor
Mike Hursthouse council officer
Richard Speight labour councillor and portfolio holder
Charles Curtis labour councillor
Mr Rawlings said: "The proposed plan for the bureau was drawn up by a council officer and includes removing the bureau from Grays to South Ockendon hub in order to pay rent to the Thurrock CVS to make the hub sustainable.
No plans for a bureau in Grays have been shared with staff, volunteers or the local community.
"As far as we are aware no one has contacted the bureau or its trustees to discuss funding the local service, this maybe because the trustees are council appointees.
"Citizens Advice is a separate national charity who have a membership scheme of which Thurrock CAB adheres to. It does not represent the bureau only the trustees of the charity can do that.
"All staff have been told is that they are under threat of redundancy but no consultation has taken place with individuals or with the affected communities in Thurrock who have been served by the bureau for 40 years.
"The bureau’s proposed funding is for one year only so will only put off the inevitable.
"The people of Thurrock deserve a local independent quality assured advice service and this is only achievable with local authority support as has been the case for 39 years, to think it can be self-sustaining when it provides its service free to local people is unrealistic, it can however be financially sustainable particularly when you consider the cost benefit the service brings to the local area."
