Promoting Advice

2.Main Content

Promoting Advice

If you have ever needed information or advice but didn't know where to turn – you are not alone. Approximately 4 million people each year experience problems but do not seek advice.

Did you know that advice and information about your rights and responsibilities is available, free of charge, to you, from lots of places? Advice services could benefit you in various ways. Research has shown that advice can lead to more money in your pocket, reduced stress levels and even greater confidence.

It's not just individuals who benefit – whole communities benefit too. Extra money gained for clients tends to stay within the local economy, isolation is reduced leading to greater cohesion, and the strain on statutory services is lessened.

Promoting Advice is a ground breaking project in which six advice charities have come together, for the first time, to promote the value of advice to the public, as well as funders and decision makers. In doing so we hope to encourage more people to access advice services, and to improve the sustainability of the advice sector so that we can go on changing lives long into the future.

As part of the Promoting Advice workstream, Advice Week 2008 was held on 6th - 12th October 2008.

The six organisations involved in the project are:

Advice Services Alliance – is the umbrella body for independent advice services in the UK. Its members are national networks of not-for-profit organisations providing advice and help on the law, access to services and related issues.

adviceuk – is the largest UK network of advice providing organisations. Their diverse membership places them in a unique position to influence Government departments and other bodies.

Age Concern England is a federation of charities across the UK that promotes the well-being of all older people to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Age Concern England represents Age Concern in this project. Age Concern England provides information for the general public and can direct them to local Age Concern advice services.

Citizens Advice – The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice from 3,200 locations, and by influencing policymakers. The service covers England and Wales.

Law Centres Federation – is the voice for Law Centres, which provide free independent legal advice and representation to the most disadvantaged members of society. They cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Youth Access – is the national membership organisation for young people’s information, advice, counselling and support services.

Please note, not all of the partners offer advice to the public (though all will be able to signpost you to appropriate organisations). Those that do, offer free, confidential and impartial advice. All partners value equality and diversity.

Promoting Advice is one of eight workstreams that make up "Working Together for Advice" – a 30 month project which has been awarded £5.75 million of Big Lottery funding to: increase access to advice; enhance the quality of advice; demonstrate the value of advice; improve the efficiency of advice services and build the capacity of the advice sector.

There are eight projects that fall into this overall project.