ONE of the busiest citizens advice centres in the city will open at its new premises in North Glasgow today.

Glasgow North West Citizens Advice Bureau (GNWCAB) will open at its new premises on 1455 Maryhill Road, directly beside Maryhill Burgh Halls.

MSP Bob Doris will officially open the GNWCAB at a special ceremony in the new office.

The new GNWCAB, which replaces Maryhill and Possilpark CAB, will offer the same free, confidential advice to local communities.

The new building offers enhanced facilities including more public reception space, more private areas for consultation, a digital suite for local people to use and get assistance with online support, and a range of information and support.

There are continuous drop-in days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with specialist appointments offered on Mondays and Fridays.

Lifelink (Maryhill branch) will also share premises with GNWCAB.

MSP Bob Doris said: “In the face of quite vicious UK welfare reforms the local Citizens Advice is needed like never before. This new office will allow the dedicated staff and volunteers to provide an expanded service and the space to offer a wider range of partnership services.

“Not long after the DWP shamefully deserted this area, it’s wonderful to see our Citizens Advice Bureau showing such commitment to serve those who most it need within our communities”.

The CAB is also looking for new volunteers to help give advice to local people.

Chief Executive Sarah Erskine, said: “This is a big day for us, and we’re delighted it has finally arrived. The new building is not only a better environment to work in. It will also enable us to offer an even better service to local people.

“Maryhill and Possilpark CAB served the people for 36 years, establishing itself as one of the main advice providers in the area. Last year we advised in excess of 7,000 people from our communities, and already we are seeing marked increase on this number compared with this time last year.

“Austerity has affected a lot of people in this area. We regularly deal with problems like redundancies, personal debt and rent and mortgage arrears. These are the kind of issues that people bring to us on a daily basis, but we also help with legal disputes, workplace problems and consumer issues. This new building allows us to offer a much better service to the public in meeting such demand.”

She added: “Now that we are in our new home, we are in a position to recruit some new volunteers. We’re looking for anyone locally who has some time on their hands and would like to help the community. You don’t need to any particular experience or qualifications – you’ll be given full training and support. All we ask is that you are able to commit five to six hours per week.

“Volunteering at the CAB is a great way to give something back to the community. Lots of people really need help, and for many of them we are their only hope. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone turn their life around. The skills you earn here are also very useful and can really build up your CV, so it’s well worth considering. If anyone is interested in discussing this, please contact us on 0141 948 0204.”