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Removed
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This charity was removed from the register on 23 May 2024
Public benefits
The Northern Ireland Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (Citizens Advice) purpose is for the benefit of the community in Northern Ireland by the advancement of education, the protection of health and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress, through the provision of a free, confidential and impartial service of advice, information and
counsel for the public and to assist the implementation of such advice, information and counsel. The public benefit that flows from the purpose by the advancement of education is increased knowledge and transferable vocational skills of those employees and volunteers who participate in Citizens Advice training and the creation of training and work experience opportunities leading to professional and personal development and to a better quality of life. The public benefit that flows from the protection of health is improvement in overall wellbeing and reduction in emotional stress and improving the quality of life of clients. The public benefit that flows from the relief of poverty is a reduction in poverty and hardship and a reduction in social isolation to improve quality of life. The public benefit that flows from relief of sickness and distress to improvement in wellbeing and emotional distress. These public benefits are provided through the provision of advice and information on a number of different areas of legislation such as social security benefits, debt advice and counselling, consumer, pension guidance, education, employment, finance, health, housing, immigration, legal, relationships, signposting, tax, travel and utilities and the training and volunteering opportunities we offer. This is evidence through regular internal and external qualitative assessment and case studies; including regular collation of quantitative data on charitable activities, production of annual report and financial monitoring and performance in annual report and audited annual accounts and reports to funders. The service has been independently evaluated. Evidence of public benefit is demonstrated through user surveys and feedback from clients. Citizens Advice ensures a high quality advice and information service by implementing and monitoring the Citizens Advice Quality Framework to our member bureaux. The Charity provides leadership, support and guidance to member bureaux to encourage and ensure the provision of high quality advice and information services. This is evidenced in Citizens Advice Quality of Assessment and Organisational Audits and survey of regional support by member bureaux and funders. Citizens Advice undertakes research and policy work for the benefit of the community in Northern Ireland in accordance with its charitable purpose by feeding back findings and identifying trends to government, local government and other public and charitable bodies. This is evidenced in the consultation responses that the charity responses to and the changes in legislation that has occurred as a result of research and lobbying activity. It is also evidenced in annual report. No harm arises from these purposes.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We use the evidence from our clients’ experiences to spot emerging issues and campaign for positive changes to the policies and practices that affect everyone.'
The charity’s classifications
- The prevention or relief of poverty
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- General public
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Education/training
- Relief of poverty
- Research/evaluation
- Volunteer development
Charitable purposes
The Company is established for the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in Northern Ireland by the advancement of education, the protection of health and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress. In furtherance of its objects, and for no other purposes, the Company shall have power: (a) to encourage the provision of Citizens Advice Bureaux which will provide a free, confidential and impartial service of advice, information and counsel for the public, and to assist the implementation of such advice, information and counsel; (b) to provide for member Bureaux an efficient service of information and training, and to assist in the development of new Bureaux; (c) to ensure that adequate standards are maintained by all member Bureaux; (c) (i) to support, assist, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any part of the affairs, business, liabilities, obligations, or services of a member bureau if in the opinion of the Board of the Company such member bureau has conducted or managed, or is considered by the Board as likely to conduct or manage, its affairs in such a manner so as to cause, loss, damage or harm to the business, standing or reputation of the member bureau, the Company or of citizens advice bureaux generally or the services provided by any of them; and in the exercise of such power the Company shall for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation be entitled to provide direct or indirect financial assistance to a member bureau, to guarantee the liabilities or obligations of a member bureau to a third party, and to nominate one or more persons to be a director of a member bureau, on such terms and conditions as the Company may think appropriate. (d) to cause to be written and printed, or otherwise reproduced and circulated, gratuitously or otherwise, reports and other documents; (e) to hold exhibitions, meetings, lectures and classes, either alone or with others; (f) to foster and undertake research into any aspect of the objects of the Company and its work and to disseminate the results of any such research; (g) to maintain an active link of communication between the public and government, local government and other public and charitable bodies, by: (i) explaining legislation and regulations to the public generally and individually; (ii) feeding back to those bodies the needs and reactions of the public; (h) to provide evidence for government and other inquiries;