I once put my debit card into a cash machine – and it swallowed it up. A queue had formed behind me. There was no getting it back.

The point of no return was reached in a matter of seconds. What was the cause? A £10 unagreed overdraft. The bank’s letter informing me of this cost £25. I was £35 in debt, in the twinkling of an eye.

That event happened over 30 years ago, as a student in this city. I had no immediate means of paying it back. What if my account was frozen? How would I live from day to day? How would I buy food, books, heating? I still remember the panic – and my parents’ reprimand.

There’s a Chinese proverb: if you have a penny, spend half on bread and half on a hyacinth. “You’ve spent a penny on hyacinths. Now there’s nothing for bread,” my mother said, sternly. “If we bail you out, you can pay it back from your holiday job – first cheque.” I nodded miserably. I’d several regular jobs lined up for the summer: a cleaner at the local hospital; a babysitter, carer and nanny for an employment agency.

I was lucky. I paid off the debt quickly, before it escalated. Yet I was on a ledge, with a real drop. Circling at the bottom were loan sharks, “friends” and high interest rates on a capital sum I might take months to repay, which would take a sizeable bite of my next term’s allowance, making more borrowing almost inevitable.

We live in testing times, and problems can mount quickly. Seeking help is, increasingly, a lottery. Frustration and helplessness can overwhelm you, before a way forward has been found. Imagine if I’d had children, a young family, or elderly relatives to support?

Oxford Citizen’s Advice Bureau has seen it all. More than 7,000 Oxford residents seek help every year. It’s the one place left, after the widespread closure of Legal Aid services, where you can receive free, independent and impartial advice on vital subjects such as debt, housing and benefits.

Although CABs exist elsewhere in Oxfordshire – in Witney, Banbury, Didcot, Henley and Abingdon – Oxford’s branch in St Aldate’s has the largest staff, and is open five days a week. More volunteers are needed, both to be trained to dispense advice but also in research, marketing, publicity and fundraising. Between £150,000 to £200,000 has to be raised annually, in addition to partial Government funding.

According to lawyer Jeremy Irwin-Singer, the chairman of the trustees of Oxford Citizens’ Advice, the organisation is a highly effective conduit for social justice and human rights: “The CAB can make a huge difference to people’s lives, if they seek its help. Advice and guidance given by the CAB could prevent you being evicted from your home; having your goods seized by dodgy creditors, protect you from racial abuse and make sure that the benefits you are entitled to reach you.”

In addition, the CAB acts as a service to ensure that those seeking help are set on a more appropriate and secure path to navigate difficulties in the future.

An annual fundraising concert organised by the Friends of Oxford Citizens Advice Bureau will take place the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building, St Hilda’s College on Saturday, May 10, at 7.30pm. Enquiries to pbuley@aol.com