Isle of Wight Citizens Advice Bureau

Isle of Wight Citizens Advice Bureau, an independent charity established in 1963, delivers free, impartial, confidential advice to residents across the Isle of Wight, tackling poverty, financial insecurity, and barriers to justice through services on welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer rights, tax, energy, and family issues. Its mission empowers vulnerable adults, families, young people, carers, and marginalised groups via multi-channel support—including face-to-face, phone, outreach, and digital—with a commitment to accessibility, systemic advocacy, and partnerships to build community resilience. Distinctively locally governed with a volunteer-driven model, it prioritises impact-driven programming funded by public and philanthropic sources.

The Bureau funds programme-related grants supporting anti-poverty initiatives, such as hardship crisis intervention, energy-efficient aid, food insecurity relief, and carer/outreach services, often in collaboration with partners like IW Carers, Age UK, and Isle of Wight Foodbank. It backs projects addressing fuel poverty, financial stability, and wellbeing for at-risk households, always tied to core advice delivery and local needs.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or community groups operating exclusively on the Isle of Wight, with no specified income thresholds—favouring grassroots to medium-sized entities with proven local impact. Grants typically range from £5,000 to £30,000 for project-specific or partnership work; however, it is invite-only, accepting no unsolicited applications, with no published deadlines or processes—allocations arise from strategic commissioning or collaborations via statutory cycles like Household Support Fund. It excludes unrestricted/core costs, non-local activities, and open bidding, differentiating through its hyper-local, evidence-based focus on integrated advice and advocacy.