The team at Citizens Advice North Herts is planning a move to a new home next year – and is aiming to sign up supporters to a new way of fundraising that will bring in some of the cash they’ll need to make the project possible.
The advice organisation has its headquarters in Letchworth and will still be based in the town centre, but the move will give them room to grow and offer a better service to callers.
Chief executive Rionach Allen said this week: “We are moving our head office so we can meet the demand for our services by providing additional interview rooms and increased telephone advice.
“One in three of our clients are disabled or have health conditions. Many people are still struggling to make ends meet or with challenging life situations.
“We have lots of work to do to get the premises ready for our move.”
Supporters are being asked to sign up to the www.easyfundraising.org.uk website, which allows people to donate for free to their nominated cause while shopping with famous names like John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Argos and online sites Amazon and eBay, as well as hundreds of other businesses.
Rionach added: “What is wonderful about easyfundraising is that it is absolutely free to us and our supporters and a very quick and simple way to raise funds for charities.
“Our supporters have commented on how easy the website is to use and some have saved it as their homepage as a reminder to use it whenever they shop online. The pennies donated from each online purchase soon turn into pounds.”
Funds are raised in a very simple way. Supporters register to help a good cause and whenever they shop through the site with any of the 2,700 listed retailers, the business gives a small percentage of what’s been spent back to the good cause as a way of saying thank you for shopping with them.
The company was set up by former telecoms account manager Ian Woodroffe who, while recovering from cancer, wanted to use the boom in internet shopping to help cash- strapped charities generate much needed funds.
He said: “I am delighted Citizens Advice North Hertfordshire has signed up to easyfundraising. We wish them the best of luck in reaching their fundraising target.”
Click here to register on the site and support Citizens Advice North Herts
Click here to find out more about Citizens Advice North Herts
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