|
Our purpose
The purpose of GLOMAS is: -
To provide a money advice service in Gloucestershire which will provide expertise, consultancy and casework to those agencies who, day by day, are involved with clients experiencing financial difficulties.
Our aims and principles
As a member of Citizens Advice, we share the aims and principles of the CAB Service: -
The Citizens Advice Service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.
The service aims:
To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
To improve the policies and practices that affect people s lives.
Our service is independent and provides free, confidential, impartial advice regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability or age.
Our history
GLOMAS was established in 1990 as a result of a grant for money advice from Gloucestershire County Council, as part of its anti-poverty strategy, to the County Group of Citizens Advice Bureaux.
Initially the service consisted of just the Manager and part-time clerical help. In 1992 a caseworker was appointed with a special responsibility to assist sole traders and self-employed people who are facing financial difficulties.
Since 1994 we have staffed a duty advice desk on mortgage possession days at Gloucester County Court.
In 1992 we became a Registered Charity, a Company Limited by Guarantee and a member of Citizens Advice. We currently hold a Community Legal Service Quality Mark for General Help with Casework in Debt.
Our Management Committee
GLOMAS is managed by our Management Committee, the members of which are drawn from the local community.
Derek Jones is our Chair. Derek is the Deputy Managing Partner at Rickerbys, a firm of solicitors based in Cheltenham.
A solicitor since 1983, a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner since 1989, a Mediator since 1996 and a Solicitor Advocate since 2007, Derek is a Fellow of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals. He is also a member of the Insolvency Lawyers Association and a member of the Institute of Credit Management. A member of the International Bar Association, Derek is the holder of Higher Rights of Audience in the Civil Courts. Derek has been a member of the Management Committee since 1995 and Chair of GLOMAS since December 2000.
Bob Johnson is our Treasurer. Bob is Group Secretary of the Stroud and Swindon Building Society. He joined the Management Committee in 1997.
Bob has been closely involved in mortgage lending by building societies since 1974. He moved to Gloucestershire and joined Stroud and Swindon in 1987. He is a qualified associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators. He is married with three adult children.
Our other Management Committee members are: -
John Eden. John is Manager of Gloucester & District Citizens Advice Bureau. John joined the Management Committee in 2004.
Jonquil Naish. Jonquil has worked in a wide range of voluntary organisations both as a volunteer and in a paid capacity. These include: Shelter (running the Shelter Cheltenham Office,), Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre, Gloucester Law Centre, and as a volunteer driver for Spa Trek (now Cheltenham Community Transport). Jonquil is a member of the Management Committee of Cheltenham Volunteer Centre. She also served for eleven years as a County Councillor for the Pittville ward in Cheltenham. Jonquil joined the Management Committee in 2001.
Mary Sullivan. Mary is a former Chair of both the Money Advice Association and Bath & District Citizens Advice Bureau. Mary joined the Management Committee in 2007.
The members of the Management Committee are both charity trustees and company directors. As well as being responsible for the overall strategic direction of our service, they have legal responsibility for its general control and management, including financial management and control. The Management Committee is responsible for ensuring that GLOMAS complies with the Citizens Advice Membership Scheme, charity legislation and company law.
In practice, day-to-day management is delegated to our Manager who also acts as Company Secretary.
Our staff
Current staffing consists of a full-time Manager, a part-time Money Advice Specialist, and a part-time volunteer Administrator. We also make use of sessional workers to run our duty advice desk at Gloucester County Court and hire in external trainers to deliver some of our training courses.
Charlotte Bentham is the GLOMAS manager. Charlotte joined GLOMAS in February 2006 after working as Caseworker/Supervisor at Stroud CAB Franchise Unit for over five years. Prior to this, Charlotte worked for the Gloucestershire Carers Project, the Forest Road Unemployed Community Resource Centre in Cinderford, Hereford CAB and as a self-employed finance worker.
Duncan Harkness is the GLOMAS Money Advice specialist. Duncan joined GLOMAS in March 2009 after working as a Money Adviser at the Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre for over 3 years. Duncan also runs a small Money Advice Service for a local Church. Prior to this, he worked for NatWest and Zurich Financial Services for over 15 years.
Margaret Hayes is our volunteer Administrator. Margaret joined GLOMAS in November 2003 after retiring from her career as an Occupational Therapist.
Both our Manager and Money Advice Specialist are members of the Institute of Money Advisers www.themaa.org.uk
|
