Action for Wiltshire press release - Action for Wiltshire origins

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18 May 2009

Partners and organisations from the Wiltshire Assembly have formed a group – Action for Wiltshire – which has agreed to allocate £340,000 to deliver three new schemes to tackle the effects of the economic downturn across the county.

The schemes will be funded using money Wiltshire Council has earned through a performance reward grant from the Government. The grant is being paid to the council over the next two years as a result of meeting service delivery targets previously agreed with the Government.

£290,000 will be given to Wiltshire’s Citizen Advice Bureaus to help them deal with the increase in demand they have seen over the last year. The money will mainly be spent on improving the telephone advice service and will help pay for more advisors and the equipment and training for them to help efficiently with people’s problems.

Wiltshire Council will invest £50,000 to help support small businesses in crisis. From the beginning of June 2009 the businesses can access specialist emergency support through a new Wiltshire telephone line. Free advice will be available the same day, and each business can get between two and 16 hours. Specialist advice can be given on many issues including legal or financial advice, for example VAT returns.

One major scheme is aimed at making sure young people leaving school and college in 2009 are given opportunities at a time when jobs are at a premium. The young people in Wiltshire will receive support and advice on completing CV’s, attending job interviews and filling in job applications. They will also be supported to access work placements in business and volunteering opportunities, such as the Wiltshire Wildlife volunteering programme.

Mike Williams from Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce said: “It is very important that at this difficult time we do all we can for local people and businesses to minimise the local impact of the global credit crunch.

“These schemes are just part of a large amount of work all the partners involved in the Wiltshire Assembly are doing to help with this effort.

“Everyone is working towards a common goal, and I hope we will be able to help many people over the coming months and years.”

Sarah Cardy from the Citizens Advice Bureau said: “The credit crisis has meant we are getting many more enquiries from people worried about their finances and job security.

“Our staff have been working tirelessly in an effort to help as many as we can, but this extra help will make a great difference.”

Last updated: 13 June 2011