On Thursday, 18th January 2024, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Hamilton Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and met with staff and volunteers in the Bureau.
The CAB has been supporting people in Hamilton since 1970 and is part of the Scottish Citizens Advice network, which has been offering advice and support since 1939.
Last year Hamilton CAB helped almost 4,000 people and unlocked £1.4 million in the process through things like social security payments, employment entitlements and other benefits in kind. In total the CAB helped people more than 10,500 times.
The CAB has 41 staff and volunteers.
Hamilton CAB Chief Officer Jennifer Howdle said:
“We were absolutely thrilled to host Her Royal Highness recently, who has been Patron of the Citizens Advice service since 1990.
“Staff and volunteers were delighted to speak to The Princess Royal, and share their experiences of working in the CAB to support local people with free, impartial and confidential advice.
“It has been a really challenging few years for local people – from the pandemic to the cost of living crisis more and more people are really starting to struggle, but the results the CAB has got for people are absolutely fantastic with over £1.4 million unlocked for people in the last year alone.
“It’s also been a really challenging time for the CAB, with demand soaring and cases often being more complex and people often presenting in a state of crisis.
“I’m blown away by how the team here handle the demand, the results they get for people and the things that motivate them – helping local people and playing their role in making our community fairer and stronger, where more people understand and can exercise their rights.
“Being able to share those experiences with The Princess Royal was really important, and she listened with real empathy and understanding.”
Chris Devlin is a volunteer at the CAB, he said of the visit:
“It was an amazing opportunity to speak with The Princess Royal when she visited the CAB. We spoke about benefits of volunteering, the training we receive and the challenges our community face. It’s amazing to have her support for the work we do for people in Hamilton.”
