Councils and Local Authorities
Housing and general advice
Money and debt advice
Resident involvement and community action
Support for parents and families
Support for children and young people
Support for black and minority ethnic people
Support for victims of domestic abuse
Support for people with disabilities
Health and wellbeing
Adult education
Gas, electricity and energy efficiency
Furniture projects
Councils and Local Authorities
| Key: |
BC = Borough Council |
DC = District Council |
| |
CC = City Council |
CoC = County Council |
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Housing and general advice
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) website provides basic advice and information and tells you where to find your nearest CAB:
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Community Legal Service providesinformation and advice on getting legal advice:
www.clsdirect.org.uk
Consumer Direct is a government funded service offering information and advice on consumer issues. Funded by the Office of Fair Trading, delivered in partnership with Trading Standards, they provide clear, practical, impartial advice to help you sort out problems and disagreements you may be having with suppliers of goods or services:
www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Directgov provides government information about welfare benefits, education, health and employment:
www.direct.gov.uk
Housing Moves helps social housing tenants living in London to find alternative accommodation through the Lawn scheme (which is open to all) and the Seaside & Country Homes scheme (for households where the eldest member is 60 years of age or older):
www.housingmoves.co.uk
Independent Housing Ombudsman deals with disputes between landlords and tenants in England:
www.ihos.org.uk
Shelter, the UK’s homeless charity which gives help and housing advice:
www.shelter.org.uk
The Housing Ombudsman Bulletin is a publication exclusively dedicated to summarising and analysing the most important decisions of the Housing Ombudsman Service & Right to Buy legislation:
www.housingombudsmanbulletin.com
Digital TV switchover information and answers to questions about what’s happening:
www.digitaluk.co.uk
TV Licensing. Update your address details and pay for your TV Licence online:
www.tvlicensing.co.uk
Useful local information websites:
www.upmystreet.com
www.fixmystreet.com
www.aboutmyarea.co.uk
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Money and debt advice
National Debtline givesfree, confidential advice about money worries:
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Association of British Credit Unions providesinformation about credit unions which are local cooperatives that offer members an easy way to save and borrow at a fair rate of interest:
www.abcul.org
Money made clear is an independent website run by the FSA (the UK's financial watchdog) with useful tools and information to help you manage your money:
www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk
Money saving expert gives lots of tips on how to save money:
www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk
Consumer Credit Counselling Service provides free confidential advice and support to anyone worried about debt:
www.cccs.co.uk
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Resident involvement and community action
Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) provides information, advice and training on all aspects of resident involvement:
www.tpas.org.uk
National Tenants Resource Centre provides training and support for people living in low-income communities:
www.traffordhall.com
Petitionscan be sent to the Prime Minister at:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk
Write to them provides an easy way to write to your local Councillor, MP or MEP:
www.writetothem.com
Dorset County Tenants Federation enables tenants across Dorset to play a significant role within their own housing association and other organisations:
www.dctf.btik.com
Fix My Street is anonline service for reporting problems in your neighbourhood to the council, such as broken lamp-posts or graffiti:
www.fixmystreet.com
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Support for parents and families
Gingerbread providessupport for lone parents and their children:
www.gingerbread.org.uk
Span (Single Parent Action Network) gives advice, information and has local support groups for single parents:
www.singleparents.org.uk
Home-start provides practical help and support to families with children under the age of five:
www.home-start.org.uk
Sure Start provides services for parents and children:
www.surestart.gov.uk
Childcare Link Service provides information and advice about childcare and early education in your area:
www.childcarelink.gov.uk
Contact a Family gives support and advice for families caring for children who are disabled or have specific health problems:
www.cafamily.org.uk
Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) provides independent advice and information on state education:
www.ace-ed.org.uk
Parents Centre provides information and advice about learning and education:
www.parentscentre.gov.uk
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Support for children and young people
Connexions provides guidance and support for young people about work, housing, health and other issues:
www.connexions.gov.uk
Foyer Federation provides housing, training and support for young people:
www.foyer.net
Childline gives help, information and advice to children and young people. T: 0800 1111 W:
www.childline.org.uk
Kidscape provides support, advice and training for parents and children to help them deal with and prevent bullying or abuse:
www.kidscape.org.uk
National Drugs Helpline (Talk to Frank) provides support, information and advice about drugs and drug use:
www.talktofrank.com
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Support for black and minority ethnic people
Equality and Human Rights Commission promotes equality and human rights for everyone and can give details of local organisations that offer support:
www.equalityhumanrights.com
Victim Support helps people deal with the effects of racially motivated crime:
www.victimsupport.org.uk
Support for victims of domestic abuse
Women’s Aid provides a free helpline that gives support and information to women who are experiencing domestic abuse. Women’s Aid works in partnership with Refuge and offers referrals to emergency safe housing:
www.womensaid.org.uk
Domestic Violence Intervention Project provides support, information and advice for women who are experiencing domestic abuse. The service also offers referrals to emergency safe housing:
www.dvip.org
Refuge has safe houses which provide emergency housing for women and children throughout the UK. Refuge also runs a helpline which provides support and information:
www.refuge.org.uk
The Mankind Initiative has safe houses for men who are victims of domestic abuse and runs a national helpline giving support and information:
www.mankind.org.uk
Victim Support provides support to men and women who are victims of domestic violence:
www.victimsupport.org.uk
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Support for people with disabilities
Disability and Carers Service is a government information service to give advice on benefits for disabled people and carers:
www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/rr2-a-guide-to-housing-benefit/
The Disability Foundation provides a ‘one stop shop’ with a holistic approach to both conventional and complementary treatments and therapies:
www.the-disability-foundation.org.uk
Disabled Living Foundation provides advice about all types of disability equipment and mobility products:
www.dlf.org.uk
Keep Able sells a range of products for people with disabilities:
www.keepable.co.uk
Mencap provides advice, information and resources for people with a learning disability and their family/carers:
www.mencap.org.uk
RADAR is a national network made up of disability organisations and people with disabilities and impairments that campaigns for equality:
www.radar.org.uk
RNID (Royal National Institute for the Deaf) provides advice, information and resources for deaf and hard of hearing people:
www.rnid.org.uk
RNIB provides advice, information and support to people who are blind or partially sighted:
www.rnib.org.uk
Vitalise provides short breaks and other services for disabled people, visually impaired people and carers:
www.vitalise.org.uk
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Health and wellbeing
NHS Direct provides practical health advice and where to find your local doctor, walk-in centre and dentist:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Age Concern provides practical help, advice and information for older people:
www.ageconcern.co.uk
Mind Information Services providesinformation and guidance on mental health issues:
www.mind.org.uk
Release gives advice and information about drugs:
www.release.org.uk
Alcoholics Anonymous gives advice, information and support:
www.aa-uk.org.uk
Terence Higgins Trust provides support and advice for people affected by HIV:
www.tht.org.uk
EACH provides support for people affected by homophobia:
www.eachaction.org.uk
Victim Support provides advice and support for people affected by crime:
www.victimsupport.org
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Adult education
Learn Direct provides IT and other courses online. It also gives details of courses throughout the UK:
www.learndirect.co.uk
Workers Educational Association provides low cost, local opportunities to learn new skills, including help with travel and childcare costs:
www.wea.org.uk
Partners in Business is the employer gateway to training at City of Bristol College. The College offers a broad range of courses for organisations throughout the south west including one day courses, Apprenticeships and NVQs:
www.cityofbristol.ac.uk/employers.html
UK Online Centres helps youfind your closest UK Online Centre with free or low cost access to computers and the internet. It also provides help and advice on how to use them:
www.ukonlinecentres.com
Gas, electricity and energy efficiency
Energy Watch is the independent gas and electricity watchdog. It investigates complaints against gas and electricity companies:
www.energywatch.org.uk
Energy Saving Trust providestips, advice and information on saving money in your home:
www.est.org.uk
USwitch helps you compare electricity and gas prices so you can get the best deal:
www.uswitch.com
Furniture projects
Reuze has details of local furniture recycling projects:
www.reuze.co.uk
Furniture Re-use Network givesdetails of furniture recycling projects across the UK; look under re-use organisations:
www.frn.org.uk
Freecycle is a free and local furniture exchange:
www.freecycle.org
Other
Westworks are a collaborative group of 21 member housing associations and local authorities, based in the Wessex region, who are working together to achieve better value through the potential extra buying power of a ‘larger client':
www.westworks.org.uk
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