It was a pleasure to welcome two local councillors to the CARS office in Addlestone recently.

Cllr George Gladstone-New and Cllr Carl Mann both represent Runnymede Borough Council and the new West Surrey council. We shared informative discussions on local issues affecting our community and the work we do.

Here’s what Cllr George Gladstone-New had to say about his visit:

“Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with Becky Whale, CEO of Citizens Advice Runnymede & Spelthorne.

It was a really informative meeting where Becky explained in detail the vital support Citizens Advice provides to residents across our communities. We discussed the wide range of issues they help people with, including debt, housing, benefits, employment concerns and many other challenges that residents can face.

What really stood out were some of the stories of residents whose lives have been positively changed through the support and guidance provided by Citizens Advice. It was inspiring to hear about the difference the organisation makes to people during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.

We also discussed how Citizens Advice is preparing for local government reorganisation and how the service will evolve alongside the transition to the new West Surrey Council, ensuring residents continue to have access to the advice and support they need.

As a Shadow Councillor for West Surrey, this meeting has given me a much greater understanding of the help available and means that from 1 April 2027 I will be better placed to signpost residents to Citizens Advice and ensure they can access the support they need.

A huge thank you to Becky for taking the time to meet with me, and to everyone at Citizens Advice Runnymede & Spelthorne for the outstanding work they do every day for local residents.”

And together with Cllr Carl Mann, we spoke about the vital support that Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne provides to an ever-increasing number of people who are facing a huge range of challenges, along with details of how we are preparing for local government reorganisation to ensure our service is adequately funded to continue to help those in need.

Both Councillors took time to personally thank our volunteers and staff and we are extremely grateful for their time and ongoing support.