Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

HRH The Princess Royal visits Leighton-Linslade’s Citizens Advice Service

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

Leighton-Linslade played host to a very special visitor this week when Her Royal Highness Royal toured the offices of the town’s Citizens Advice service in Bossard House, Leighton Buzzard

Her Royal Highness, who is Patron of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, met many of the charity’s staff and volunteers to learn about their work and the client issues they see in the town. The Princess also chatted to former manager, Barbara Brown, who was involved in setting up the Citizens Advice service in Leighton-Linslade in 1975, to understand how the local service has changed during its 43-year history.

Last year Citizens Advice Leighton-Linslade helped over 2,500 local people with more than 10,200 different problems. The branch has a dedicated team of 47 highly trained volunteers and six staff to help clients with issues ranging from debt, housing employment problems, to relationship breakdown and consumer issues.

The timing of Her Royal Highness’ visit was of special significance to the team as it coincides with the 80th Birthday of the national Citizens Advice service this year.

Eryl Hardman, Chair of Trustees of Citizens Advice Leighton-Linslade, said:

“We are that Her Royal Highness took the time to meet our team of committed volunteers and staff today. Having been Patron of Citizens Advice since 1990, she has a very good understanding of the work we do, and this visit provided an excellent opportunity for her to learn more about how we run our service here in Leighton-Linslade to meet the specific needs of people in our local area who so often feel they have nowhere else to turn.”

Her Royal Highness was welcomed to Leighton Buzzard by HM Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis, and her Lord-Lieutenant Cadets, Corporal Alissa Morgan from St John Ambulance and Cadet Sergeant Élodie Pierlot from Flitwick & Ampthill Sea Cadets.

Speaking after the visit, the Lord-Lieutenant said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness Royal to Bedfordshire to tour the facilities at Citizens Advice Leighton-Linslade. It is clear that the volunteers and staff are very proud of the wonderful service that they deliver, and they took great delight in demonstrating this to HRH who wholeheartedly supports them as their national Patron.”