A CASH grant has been agreed to provide a worker to help people in the Felixstowe area deal with the effects of the economic downturn.

A CASH grant has been agreed to provide a worker to help people in the Felixstowe area deal with the effects of the economic downturn.

The �9,000 from Suffolk Coastal council will mean the town's Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) can pay for a money advisor for the next 12 months - giving help to those suffering financial problems and debt.

The grant is part of �60,000 the council is giving away to community groups, sports clubs, and charities in the district.

“The recession has put a lot of pressure on Felixstowe and District CAB's services, and in recognition of this Suffolk Coastal has agreed to award it a �9,000 grant so it can keep on a money advisor, who had originally been recruited for 2008/9 only, for an additional twelve months,” said council cabinet member Mary Neale.

“Money advisors are specialist members of staff that offer free, impartial advice on a range of financial matters, such as bankruptcy, managing debt and dealing with creditors.

“In the current economic climate their expertise is in great demand, and it is only right that people living in and around Felixstowe, Martlesham and Woodbridge continue to receive this support.

“Suffolk Coastal regularly awards money to CABs in the district - in the last financial year they received �63,800 in total.

“The extra �9,000 boost, the largest grant awarded in this funding round, is intended to ensure that Felixstowe and District CAB continues to offer the best possible service to customers.”

The CAB is based in Orwell Road, Felixstowe, and deals with about 14,000 inquiries a year on a range of topics - with debt making up a large proportion of its work. Last year it dealt with clients with more than �2 million debts.

Is financing a debt advisor a good use of council cash? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Grant aid given by Suffolk Coastal

Felixstowe Art on the Prom: �350

Coastal Accessible Transport Services �500

DanceEast: �1,500 (providing Spiegel Tent comes to Easton Park and dance workshops are held in Felixstowe.)

Deben Swimming Club: �2,500

Disability Advice Service (East Suffolk): �2,000

East Anglian Sailing Trust: �550

Eastern Angles Theatre Company: �1,000

Felixstowe and District Citizens Advice Bureau: �9,000

Felixstowe and District Council Sport and Recreation: �500

Felixstowe Area Community Transport: �500

Homestart-Suffolk Coastal: �500

Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality: �500

Ipswich Womens Aid: �5,000

Just42: �5,000

Landguard Fort Trust: �1,500

National Coastwatch Institution: �1,000

Pisces Swimming Club: �500

Rochford Trust �8,000

Rural Coffee Caravan Information Project: �1,800

Saxmundham Arts and Recreation Trust: �1,000

Suffolk Accident Rescue Service: �1,000

Suffolk Artlink: �500

Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations: �1,000

The Poetry Trust: �1,000