PEOPLE from Bicester and Kidlington have been helped financially to the tune of millions of pounds by a team of volunteers and staff.

Bicester Citizens Advice Bureau, which operates an outreach office in Kidlington, has helped about 2,000 people get benefits they were owed or debt written off, totalling £2m.

Manager Mary Kelly said the figure was up by £500,000 on last year.

She said: “We feel it (the service) is of benefit to the whole community.

“In terms of outcomes for clients, we achieved more than £2m in financial gains for clients. Clients report that the advice and support we provide has helped them feel more positive and confident about the future.”

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Ms Kelly said people accessed the service in different ways including over the phone, by email and through its website.

A national overhaul of the website means people can access more information online.

They can search for the sort of help they need, or get specific advice on subjects such as debt, tax, housing and benefits.

Ms Kelly said: “The Citizens Advice Bureau has done a lot of work developing the website. It has been revamped to allow a lot more people to help themselves more.

“That means the resources, which are quite limited, can be concentrated on the people most in need.”

She said a large part of the work staff at the centre do is advising, negotiating and challenging benefits decisions, making up 44 per cent of the workload, with debt issues accounting for 31 per cent.

The bureau in Garth Park, off Launton Road, also deals with consumer and employment issues, housing, and relationship problems.

The Bicester branch is looking to move to a bigger premises so it can expand its services.

Last month, former Bicester CAB chairman Keith Watson was elected as president, and David Charlton has taken over as chairman.

Mr Charlton said extra resources, including more employed staff and volunteers, would be needed because of the growth of the town.

To help fund the new premises, the centre plans to start offering human resources and health and safety consultancy services to small and medium-sized businesses.