A MAJOR increase in homes in the Wantage and Grove area will put even more pressure on an advice centre, its new chairman is warning.

Wantage Independent Advice Centre’s Peter Harbour has called for more volunteers ahead of 5,500 planned new homes by 2029.

Demand for some of the centre’s services has more than doubled in the last two years.

Its 100 volunteers offer debt advice, drive the elderly and disabled to hospital appointments and help them in other ways.

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It has about 30 advisers, 48 drivers and 20 “good neighbours” who help people with odd jobs.

Mr Harbour, 69, of Grove, said finding volunteers was its “biggest problem”.

“They are building houses like it’s going out of fashion.

“I wanted to see what we could do to grow our service.

“Being a good neighbour is sometimes just being able to listen, or changing a light bulb.

“You get the satisfaction of actually helping people.”

Referrals to its benefit, debt and employment advice service went from 3,993 in 2012/13 to 4,227 in 2013/14.

Volunteers referred 149 people to food banks in 2013/14, up from 61 the year before.

Demand for its hospital transport service increased 11 per cent in the same period, from 3,156 referrals to 3,493.

Mr Harbour, a retired agricultural worker and grandfather of two, is concerned would-be-volunteers are intimidated by the role.

He said: “Sometimes you think you haven’t helped someone an awful lot but just the fact they’ve made it through the door and spoken to someone can be important.”

Mr Harbour is also hoping to encourage more people to volunteer as managers by changing its official legal status.

He wants to change it from a charity to a charitable incorporated organisation in April so managers will not be personally liable for its financial success.

The centre, launched in 1971, opened a £60,000 expansion with four new private rooms for consultations and a lift for disabled visitors last summer. It receives £53,000 a year from Vale of White Horse District Council, £13,000 from Oxfordshire County Council and £7,000 from Wantage Town Council.

Volunteers can choose their hours but advisers are asked to commit to six hours across two morning or afternoon sessions a week.

For more information, call 01235 765348

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