EARLY in 1940, when the Citizens Advice Bureau was launched, advice would sometimes be offered from the back of a horse-drawn cart.

There was little privacy for clients who needed advice during the war years, after finding themselves homeless or losing their ration books.

Now, as staff at the CAB in Oxford prepare to celebrate its 70th anniversary, people visiting the advice centre in St Aldate’s receive expert advice in a confidential one-to-one consultation.

Problems affecting members of the public have changed over the years, but the need for advice continues to grow, according to Glynis Newton, 59, deputy manager of the St Aldate’s centre, who has worked at the centre for the past 20 years.

She said: “When we started out during the war years, people might have lost their clothing coupons or could not afford food.

“Volunteers started out helping the dispossessed on the Home Front and pointed them in the right direction for help.

“Now we provide quasi-legal advice and specialist advice on debt, housing advice and advice on state benefits.

“The recent economic downturn has led to an increase in demand – people are coming to us because they are victims of the recession.”

To mark our 70th anniversary, the centre is holding a party at the Town Hall, in St Aldate’s, on Tuesday, April 28, at 6pm.

Mrs Newton said: “We would like to invite volunteers who worked with us over the years.

“It would be great if they could join us to celebrate our work over the past 70 years.”

Jeremy Irwin-Singer, a private client partner at Botley-based Blake Lapthorn solicitors, is the chairman of trustees at Oxford CAB and a volunteer.

The 58-year-old said 5,500 clients had sought advice in 2008/9 – a 43 per cent increase on the previous year.

He added: “That was a dramatic increase and we managed to accommodate the increase in demand on virtually no extra money.

“Our annual budget is £400,000 and we need more money so that we can help more clients.

“We need either a significant increase in public support from the local authority or Government or reliable large donations from big institutions.”

There are 15 paid staff and 60 volunteers.

Ms Newton added: “We have enough volunteers at the moment, but it would help to have more full-time staff if we had the finances.

“In future, we would like to have a new phone system so that any office in Oxfordshire could pick up the call. That would mean fewer clients were not getting through.”

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk

IN THE 1960s, the CAB was based in Queen Street, before staff moved to St Aldate’s in the 1970s.

Now managers are trying to find records from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Anyone with information should email susana@cab-oxford.org.uk