Advice First Aid (AFA)

The Advice First Aid (AFA) project, led by Citizens Advice Wandsworth, is a proactive initiative aimed at training Community Champions to offer vital assistance to fellow citizens in need. These Community Champions serve as a critical link connecting people facing a variety of challenges with the essential support services necessary to improve their situations. A strong emphasis is placed on the most vulnerable groups; the elderly, isolated individuals, those with mental health issues, physical and learning disabilities, care needs, and migrant and refugee communities experiencing hardship.

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Beyond crisis intervention, AFA also delves into addressing the root causes of these challenges. It provides guidance and referrals on critical issues such as employment, homelessness, debt management, and health problems. The initiative fosters collaborative forums that bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including citizens, service users, commissioners, and providers. Through these forums and conferences, they create spaces for open dialogue, enabling discussions on inequalities and shared solutions to better respond to the complex challenges faced by the community.