Across North Staffordshire, more people than ever are being pushed to breaking point. Families are facing impossible choices between heating their homes, paying their rent, or putting food on the table. For many, a visit to a food bank is not a one-off emergency, but a sign of deeper financial crisis.
At the heart of this crisis, Citizens Advice North Staffordshire is working directly with local Trussell Trust food banks in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheadle, and Leek, offering face-to-face, confidential money advice to people at their most vulnerable.
Citizens Advice North Staffordshire (CANS) is a trusted local charity that provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to help people find a way forward, whatever problem they face.
We are seeking funding to continue delivering face-to-face money advice in three local Trussell food banks – Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheadle, and Leek. These sessions offer vital, in-person support to people in crisis; helping them increase their income, reduce debt, access emergency assistance, and build financial resilience.
Our trained advisors meet people at the foodbanks, helping them increase income, manage or write off debt, access further emergency support, and begin to rebuild financial stability. For many, this is the first step away from crisis and towards independence.
The need is urgent and growing. Our proven model is helping people move from crisis to independence but without continued funding, this vital lifeline is at risk. Your support will ensure we can keep delivering this trusted, frontline service where it is needed the most.
We are asking for £40,000 to fund six months of advice sessions in food banks across North Staffordshire. This funding will allow our advisors to continue meeting people at their most vulnerable moment, offering practical help, reassurance, and hope when it is needed most.
Without this support, many people will leave foodbanks with no route out of crisis. With it, they can regain stability, reduce debt, increase income, and begin to rebuild their lives with dignity.
Your support will help turn emergency food support into a pathway towards independence, ensuring no one is left to face financial hardship alone.
We are proud to report that since the project began in 2022, we have:
- Supported 3,469 clients
- Secured £3,959,016.52 worth of financial gains
- Managed £2,401,331.51 worth of debt
- Written off £1,698,385.46 worth of debt
- Ensured 852 clients no longer rely on the use of food banks
This is more than a project. It is a lifeline. Your support helps ensure that no one must face a financial crisis alone.