CAR - Citizens Advice Reading

11/05/2026

We are delighted to be offering an advice drop-in at Prospect Park hospital to support their staff members with the pressures of day-to-day life. Every other Friday, one of our advisers visits Prospect Park hospital from 10am - 5pm. Staff can either drop-in for advice or book an appointment in advance.

This expands on our successful partnership with the Royal Berkshire Hospital, where we offer drop-in advice and appointments each Monday in the Oasis Staff Wellbeing Centre. This service enables busy staff members to easily access advice and support during their working hours. Staff who speak to our adviser are welcome to come back to the service whenever they need some support or guidance, providing a consistent presence that enables them to feel supported by their work.

With the cost of living crisis affecting us all, this service has been a real lifeline. Staff who have fully engaged with the service have seen some meaningful financial wins, taking the pressure off at a time when every penny counts.

Our staff can now access on site, confidential advice from Citizens Advice, funded by Berkshire Healthcare Charity.

From money worries to housing, benefits or family matters, this service is here to support our staff with everyday pressures. Advice hubs are available on site at:
📍Prospect Park and Upton Hospital
📞or by phone

"This is exactly the kind of initiative our Charity is proud to fund, practical human support that aims to give back to the people who give so much to our community." Jo Ramsay, Charity Manager. 💜

Find out more about the work of our Charity and how you can support it. Search 'Charity' on our website.
CAR - Citizens Advice Reading
Citizens Advice East Berkshire

06/05/2026

Great to meet Yuan Yang MP on Saturday at Whitley CDA

Our outreach adviser Lottie ran our monthly Saturday morning advice drop-in at WCDA. These sessions make it easier for people who are working during the week to access support in a relaxed and welcoming setting, over a coffee or breakfast in the café.

Following our session, Yuan hosted one of her Community Catch ups. These bring residents together to share the broader issues affecting their lives, and hear how these are being raised in Parliament.

Making sure decision makers understand the real impact of policy on people’s lives is central to the work of Citizens Advice Reading. It was really valuable to see how residents in Whitley can connect directly with their MP and have their voices heard.

27/04/2026

Has the 2026 London Marathon weekend inspired you to find your trainers? Why not consider running the 2027 Reading Half Marathon for Citizens Advice Reading!
We are delighted to be charity partners for a second year running, after having such an enjoyable day last month meeting the community and enjoying the sunshine.
We also have a limited number of free places for both the Half Marathon and the Mini Marathon - find out more on the link below:

https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/support-us/reading-half-marathon-2027

24/04/2026

Our trainer, Jenny, recently visited ACRE to catch up with some of the Advice First Aiders trained as part of our Cost of Living Support Service.

We train Advice First Aiders to spot advice issues, provide accurate and useful information and signposting, and to know how and when to refer for specialist help when chatting to people in their community.

It was great to catch up with the group and hear how they have been able to support their local communities.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can find out how to access our service here: https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/get-help

10/04/2026

When Harry* first came to Citizens Advice Reading, he was overwhelmed. Years of mounting debt had led him to stop opening letters and answering phone calls, trying to escape constant contact from creditors and bailiffs. The stress was taking a serious toll on his mental health and sleep.

Over the course of 10 years, Harry had built up around £37,000 in debt, including council tax, water bills, credit cards, and loans. Living on Universal Credit and disability benefits made it difficult to keep up, and the situation gradually became unmanageable.

We worked closely with Harry to stabilise things step by step. We helped him claim Council Tax Support to reduce ongoing costs, provided fuel vouchers, and explained how to use a local food pantry for more affordable essentials. We also contacted his creditors and bailiffs to gather accurate information and asked them all to pause action.

Once we had a clear picture of Harry’s finances, we created a balanced budget and explored his options. Harry chose a Debt Relief Order - a solution that cleared his debts completely.

Today, Harry is debt free. He can open his letters without fear and feels back in control of his life.

It took 10 difficult years for Harry to reach out for help, but it doesn’t have to take that long.

If you’re struggling with debt, support is available. Get in touch with us and take the first step towards your own solution:

https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/get-help

*not the client's real name

02/04/2026

A big thank you to Reading Voluntary Action and Compass Recovery College who came in yesterday to our monthly in-house training session. From RVA we learnt about the role of Social Prescribers in our local community and Compass Recovery College discussed the wide range of mental health and wellbeing support that they offer in Reading. It was great to connect with these organisations and better understand how we can most effectively support people.

23/03/2026

We are beyond proud of our incredible team who took to the streets yesterday. While our runners were pushing through the miles, our team of volunteer marshals were also out in full force cheering, keeping the route safe, and ensuring everything ran smoothly.

The Highlights:

Team Spirit: Our runners crossed the finish line alongside 9,000 others in an electric atmosphere both during the course and at the end.

Community Spirit : People from all over Reading and beyond came out on the streets to support the runners and keep the energy high for every participant.

The Big Win: Together, we’ve raised over £4,000 for Citizens Advice Reading!

A massive thank you to Reading BID for sponsoring our running vests, our runners certainly looked the part out there. We also want to extend our gratitude to Goldline Events for their excellent organisation; the event ran like clockwork and the atmosphere was brilliant.

It was truly heart warming to see the Reading community come together in such force. If you haven't had a chance to support our runners yet, it is still not too late to donate! Every penny helps us support more people in need in Reading. You can sponsor the team here:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/halfmarathon2026

We are already planning to be part of this amazing event next year!

19/03/2026

With just three days to go until the , our runners are ready and we are so excited to cheer everyone along. There is still time to donate to our fundraisers in advance of the big day! As an organisation that is powered by so many volunteers, any donation makes such a difference to the support we can provide to our clients. Read about our runners and donate on the JustGiving link below:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/halfmarathon2026

25/02/2026

This week is the Citizens Advice National Consumer Campaign! With an ever-increasing number of online retailers across different platforms, the focus this year is on shopping safely online.

Our February advice blog highlights how to spot counterfeit products, and provides advice on your options moving forward. Give it a read below and

https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/get-help/advice-blog

23/02/2026

We are delighted to be offering weekly outreach sessions at Whitley CDA as part of our Cost of Living service. Our Cost of Living partner, Launchpad, will also be there, for anyone who needs housing or homelessness-related information and support.

Speak to an adviser in the WCDA café to get advice on the day or book a follow-up appointment. To find out where and when we are doing other outreach sessions you can view the full list on the following link:

https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/about-us/find-us

13/02/2026

As part of our Cost of Living service, we have been able to expand our outreach provision. We are delighted to be offering outreach sessions on Tuesdays across the Reading Borough Council community centres. At outreach, you can speak with an adviser who will be able to help you with your issue, or book a follow-up appointment for you. To find out where and when we are doing other outreach sessions you can view the full list on the following link: https://www.citizensadvicereading.org/about-us/find-us