Nottingham & District Citizens Advice Bureau

the charity for your community

Before World War 2

The word ‘advice’ is usually associated with organisations like the CAB, consumer protection departments, Law Centres and Housing Aid Centres, but these are all comparatively recent developments. 

Communities have always had people who give advice, like doctors, ‘wise women’, religious leaders, neighbours. The growth of advice centres reflects that peoples' needs for advice have become more complex and demanding and so advisers need more skills, knowledge and back-up.

The idea of advice centres in Britain goes back to the Betterton report on Public Assistance (1924).  This report said that advice centres should be set up so the public could get advice on their particular problems. 

Chester seems to have been the first local council to act and a centre calling itself 'Citizens' Friend' was opened by the Chester Council for Social Welfare.

During the 1930's one of the many plans made for a possible start of war was to decide the role the voluntary sector would have. In 1938 a meeting was called by the National Council for Social Service (NCSS) which planned to set up 'Citizens Aid Bureaux' in case war was declared.

Next:  During the war

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34 - 36 Carrington Street, Nottingham NG1 7FG

Company Limited by guarantee.  Registered number:  2323141.  Registered Charity Number:  701259

Last updated 8 September 2010