Fleur Anderson Hosts Advice Day for Roehampton Community
Over 50 families attend event providing help with cost-of-living issues
Fleur Anderson at the Roehampton Advice Day
Fleur Anderson and Roehampton councillors recently hosted the second in a series of Residents Advice Days to tackle the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis on local people.
The Roehampton Drop-In was held at Alton Activity Centre and was attended by over 50 local families.
Agencies at the Residents Advice Day included the Department of Work and Pensions representatives, Children’s Services from Wandsworth Council, Work Match, Crew Energy and Little Village, a children’s resource bank.
Local Roehampton councillors Cllr Jenny Yates, Cllr Graeme Henderson and Cllr Matthew Tiller held a surgery, supporting residents with housing, anti-social behaviour and referral to food banks, as well as legal and employment support services.
The Advice Day comes in the wake of Citizens Advice Wandsworth announcing that the number of people approaching them for help with daily essentials was up 400% on pre-pandemic levels.
The Putney MP said afterwards, “The focus of our Residents Advice Day is bringing support to the heart of our communities. The Cost of Living Crisis is taking an enormous toll on local people. I was delighted to be joined by so many brilliant local agencies, who offered free, 1-to1 advice on everything from energy bills to childcare. Over 50 local families attended, and I know the information will be shared with hundreds more people. If you do need help, do get in touch with me and your local councillors.
“I’m really pleased that we are able to bring together support agencies like Crew Energy, Citizens Advice Wandsworth and Little Village. Having all of these services in one place makes a huge difference for busy families who aren’t always able to travel to separate offices to ask for the advice and support which is there for them. I am looking forward to holding our next Advice Drop-In and would encourage local residents to check the Wandsworth Council Cost of Living Hub and my Online Directory for further information on support services.”
An attendee of the Roehampton Residents Advice Day said, “Having a drop-in session for free advice, so close to where I live, is so important. It is not always easy to ask for support and having all the different services in a room together meant I could get help on several issues at once. It was a brilliant morning and I’m glad to hear there will be more Advice Days locally in the future.”
Roehampton Councillor Jenny Yates said, “These Advice Days are so crucial. There is currently an immense strain on families due to the Cost of Living Crisis. It’s incredibly important that I can easily sign-post my constituents and being able to do it in one room is hugely stress relieving for those seeking help. Housing, energy bills and access to food and daily essentials were the main issues brought to me. Wandsworth’s Labour Council is doing everything that it can to support our communities, but we also need strong and urgent Government action.”
Warren Green from Wandsworth Council’s Work Match said, “I was delighted to attend this brilliant community initiative, offering free employment advice to local people. I run a weekly drop-in session in Roehampton Library which helps with CV and interview preparation, and I would encourage anyone looking for a job to come in for an appointment – no booking necessary. People in our community are struggling now more than ever, and it is important to stress that there are lots of agencies on hand to help.”
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October 7, 2022