A major achievement as Reading has its first 10 Advice First Aiders (AFA) trained to reach out to the wider community to signpost individuals or refer them to the Citizen’s Advice Reading (CAR).

The AFAs are trained by the CAR to recognise members in their community who may need help or reassurance about their budgeting, debt or housing concerns and refer them to the right service(s).

This is a collaborative approach between ACRE and CAR in a bid to help with the cost-of-living crisis. This is a three-year funded project with the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives as it is a preventative measure to homelessness, mental health and debt issues, written by Barbara Diouri.