Lancashire charity Advocacy Focus opens community hub in Hargreaves Street in Burnley

Lancashire charity Advocacy Focus has opened the hub to allow people to have their voices heard on a range of issues, from housing, social care issues, benefits and other vital issues.

Dozens of people flocked to an open day to mark the launch of the hub in Hargreaves Street. Jody Ross, who is the community advocacy manager for the charity said: “Advocacy is a service aimed at helping people understand their rights and express their views. The hub is dedicated to supporting individuals facing health and social care challenges. We are here to help the local community live the lives they want to live and extend our assistance to individuals in areas such as housing, benefits, access to training, education, and employment.”

The hub will be running drops ins on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm offering a warm space and a cuppa for anyone who visits for help and advice. Justine Forster who is CEO for Advocacy Focus said it was very much a preventative model helping to educate and upskill people to advocate for themselves when faced with a range of challenging issues.

She added: “We had a great deal of interest in the open day and we are already working with other partners to bring this service to the people of Burnley.”