Citizens Advice Sunderland finds temporary home after office destroyed by fire during disorder

Speaking to the Echo on Saturday morning (August 3) Citizens Advice chief officer Denise Irving said: “Our unit is now completely burnt out. We are absolutely devastated about what has happened.

“It has thrown us so far back that we don’t know what we are going to do.

“It’s our money advice unit where we would offer crisis advice on a daily basis as well as providing food support, and we now just don’t know where we are going to be on Monday and whether we will be able to operate.”

Dealing with “around 30 people everyday” and taking 100 daily calls, Denise was fearful of not being able to provide support to some of the city’s most vulnerable people.

The advice office provides emergency support to people suffering from issues such as debt crisis, fuel poverty and lack of essentials such as food.

After temporarily relocating to City Hall, which can be found on Plater Way, Citizens Advice can at least now continue to provide its vital services.

Denise said: “This is a devastating situation for our local community and our primary focus will be ensuring we can continue to support those who need our help. 

“Our regular office in Waterloo Place will be closed as the damage is investigated. But our staff and volunteers from Waterloo Place will be at the City Hall in Sunderland from Monday (August 5), and our Washington office will be open as usual so we’re still there for people.”

The Citizens Advice office in Washington is located at units 56-57 in The Galleries Shopping Centre.