Libraries at the Heart of Community Advice: How Citizens Advice Manchester Hubs Are Reaching Manchester Residents
At Citizens Advice Manchester, we know that libraries are more than just places for books, they are the heart of their communities. That’s why we’re proud to run Community Hubs in 10 libraries across Manchester, where local people can get support and advice close to home. Some of our hubs see up to 30 clients in a single session, showing just how vital these services are.
Real Impact: Heather’s Story
Take Heather, a 77-year-old client who visited our Wythenshawe Community Hub. She spoke to our adviser, Florence, about caring for her husband, who receives Attendance Allowance. She had previously applied for Carer’s Allowance but was rejected and didn’t know what other help she might be entitled to.
Florence referred Heather to our triage team, who gathered more details and passed her case to our Benefits Team. During this process, Heather was also linked with our Energy Advice Service, receiving personalised tips worth £377 and being added to the Priority Services Register.
Then, Ashleigh from our Benefits Team carried out a full benefits check. While Heather still wasn’t eligible for Carer’s Allowance, she was awarded:
- Pension Credit worth £833 per year
- Council Tax Support worth around £1,600
- Additional support (like Warm Home Discount and a free TV licence) valued at another £804
This is the kind of life-changing support that our hubs can offer and it all started with a visit to a local library.
What We Offer at Our Community Hubs
Our Community Hubs are designed to be accessible, welcoming, and flexible. There’s no need to book an appointment, and you don’t need to bring anything with you.
We offer both face-to-face and video advice, starting with an initial conversation to understand your concerns and then connecting you to further support if needed.
At our hubs, you can:
- Create a personal plan to help you tackle your concerns
- Get help getting online and support with completing online forms
- Be referred to one of our expert in-house teams or trusted partner organisations
- Access advice on employment, debt, benefits, housing, and immigration
- Where video advice is offered, you can also discuss sensitive issues in private with a trained adviser
A Partnership That Makes a Difference
We truly value our partnership with Manchester’s libraries. Not only do they provide the space we need to run our sessions, but the dedicated library staff go above and beyond to help residents access support and to keep things running smoothly for our team.
Together, we’re creating a stronger, more connected Manchester, one library at a time.
Where to Find Us
Here are just some of the libraries and centres where we currently offer advice sessions:
Library Hubs:
- Abraham Moss Library – Monday 9:30AM–1PM
- Arcadia Library – Monday 1PM–4PM
- The Avenue Library – Every other Friday 9:30AM–1PM
- Benchill Community Centre – Every Friday 9:30AM–12:30PM
- Newton Heath Library – Tuesday 9:30AM–1PM
- North City Library (M9 8AE) – Every other Wednesday 9:30AM–1PM
- Gorton Hub – Tuesday 1PM–4PM
- Forum Library (Wythenshawe) – Wednesday 1PM–4:30PM
- Hulme Library – Every other Wednesday 9:30AM–1PM
Additional Community Venues:
- Avenue Library (Blackley), M9 6HW – Tuesday AM
- ITC Centre (Cheetham Hill), M8 8AF – Tuesday AM
- Manchester Settlement (Openshaw), M11 1JG – Thursday PM
- Gorton Community Centre (HMHC), M18 8PF – Thursday PM
- Longsight Library, M12 4NE – Thursday AM
- Yes Employment (Newton Heath), M40 2TP – Friday AM
- Beacon Centre (Clayton) – Friday AM
- Gorton Sure Start, M18 8LW – Friday AM
- Inspire Levenshulme, M19 3AR – Friday AM
Want to know more or visit a hub near you? Visit our website to see where we are and our pop up events – https://www.citizensadvicemanchester.org.uk/face-to-face.
No appointment needed – just turn up and we’ll help from there.