THE Ryedale Citizens Advice Bureau is merging with services in the surrounding districts.

From this month, the Citizens Advice service in Ryedale will merge with Hambleton, Richmondshire and Selby Citizens Advice to create one big organisation.

The merged organisation will cover the largest geographic area covered by a Citizens Advice in the country.

It will have 12 outreaches in towns and villages across North Yorkshire.

The merged organisation will be known initially as Citizens Advice Hambleton, Richmondshire, Selby and District, but it is expected that the new merged offices will be renamed in the coming months in order to reflect the enlarged organisation.

Meanwhile, the individual offices which form the merged organisation will continue to operate under their local titles.

Carol Shreeve, the chief executive of the merged service, said: “I am

delighted that we are together providing a service to all our local communities.

“We make each other stronger and have secured the future of all our services.”

The merged offices will cover a population of about 278,000 people.

Last year in total, 12,027 clients turned to what will be the merged offices for support with 29,236 problems.

This was a 13 per cent increase in clients seeking help on the year before.

The main issues faced by clients of the service included problems with benefits and debt.

Citizens Advice believe that this is likely to increase following the roll out of universal credit across North Yorkshire.

Additionally, staff helped clients gain £3,426,241 and helped to write off debts of £2,133,881 - solving two out every three clients’ problems.

Citizens Advice is a charity service which gives free, impartial and confidential advice.

Advice is provided in face-to-face sessions, as well as by a telephone helpline and a “web chat” facility.

For information and advice online, visit citizensadvicehrs.org.uk or phone the Adviceline on 03444 111 444.

For consumer issues, phone 03454 040506.

For general information, phone your local office on Northallerton 01609 776551, Richmond 01748 823862, Selby and District 01757 701310 or Ryedale 01653 692867.