Citizens Advice Bureau Queenstown
Annual General Meeting
will be held on
Friday 28th August 2015
St Margaret’s Church, Frankton
11am – 1pm
Guest Speaker Sam Hazledine
Followed by light refreshments
Members of the public are welcome to attend
____________________________________________________________________
Are you new to New Zealand?
Citizens Advice Bureau Queenstown is running a FREE information session for people who are new to New Zealand and Queenstown to help you find out what goes on here, what services are available and how to become involved in your community.
There will be speakers on topics including:
* Employment * Housing & tenancy * Tax & legal matters
* Social issues * Volunteering / Community involvement
Where: St Margaret’s Church Hall, 50 Ross St, Frankton
When: Friday 14th November, 2014
Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Refreshments provided and everyone welcome!!
Email cab.queenstown@xtra.co. nz or call us on 03 442 6799 for more information.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Citizens Advice Bureau Queenstown marks 25th Anniversary and launch of a new service
Citizens Advice Bureau is celebrating 25 years of service in Queenstown by looking to the past, the present and the future.
To mark the occasion CAB, which provides free, confidential advice and information on a range of issues from tenancy and employment to legal and consumer matters is holding a reunion of former volunteers and staff.
The social occasion is being held following the AGM on 29 August and Chairman Jon Bitcheno said all former staff and volunteers are welcome to attend.
The anniversary also coincides with the launch of a new role for CAB Queenstown which has been chosen this month to provide a new face-to-face information service for new migrants in the region.
The Bureau has been selected by Immigration NZ as one of 30 CAB locations nationwide to front the service which aims to ensure migrants who have been in the country for less than two years are able to get the information they need to help them settle successfully in New Zealand.
Mr Bitcheno, said he was delighted the Queenstown Bureau had been selected.
“This is really an extension of the information and advice service which CAB Queenstown has been offering for 25 years. It is exciting that we are able to celebrate our milestone anniversary with such a positive development.
Looking to the future Mr Bitcheno said CAB Queenstown relies on its strong panel of volunteers to provide the service which helped almost 5000 clients over the past year.
“We would love to recruit some new members and if anyone is interested in finding out about being a volunteer they can contact the Bureau on 442 6799.”
CAB the new face-to-face information service for new migrants in Queenstown
Citizens Advice Bureau Queenstown will be the new face-to-face information service for new migrants in the region.
The Bureau has been chosen by Immigration NZ as one of 30 CAB locations nationwide to front the service which aims to ensure migrants who have been in the country for less than two years are able to get the information they need to help them settle successfully in New Zealand.
CAB Queenstown Chairperson, Jon Bitcheno, said he was delighted the Queenstown Bureau had been selected.
“This is really an extension of the information and advice service which CAB Queenstown has been offering for 25 years. It is exciting that we are able to celebrate our milestone anniversary with such a positive development.
“In the last 12 months CAB Queenstown has dealt with 4722 face-to-face and telephone enquiries. Of these about 11 percent were Central/South American clients while a huge range of other nationalities were also represented including Filipino, Indian, Japanese and Russian.
“We feel well placed to provide the necessary information and advice required by new migrants.”
In addition to the face–to–face information and advice service, CAB Queenstown will also provide workshops to new migrants to give information about common settlement issues such as housing, employment and other community support.
Not Sure How To Deal With A Dispute? Ask us……
Daily enquiries from clients who have a dispute with a retailer, employer or employee, tradesperson, tenant, landlord or a range of other service providers, has prompted Citizens Advice Bureau Queenstown to hold a free public information session.
As part of national CAB Awareness week, March 16 – 21, CAB Queenstown is running an information session for its volunteers and the public on dealing with disputes and what you can do to achieve the best outcome.
Guest speaker, local lawyer Dale Lloyd, of Dale Lloyd Law will discuss how to formulate and lodge an effective complaint.
The session will also look at the process of going to the Disputes Tribunal or other complaints organisations.
CAB Queenstown Chairman Jon Bitcheno said a large percentage of the almost 5000 enquiries fielded by the Bureau annually are based on a complaint or dispute with a service provider.
Mr Bitcheno said it was clear that many people are unsure how to complain effectively or don’t know if there is a specific complaints body they can go to if they aren’t able to sort things out with the other party.
“If a complaint can’t be resolved by the parties involved, it isn’t always obvious which complaint resolution organisation you need to go to with your complaint. If you aren’t sure you can go to the Complaintline Website www.complaintline.org.nz or call into CAB Queenstown at 44 Stanley St, phone 03 442 6799,” Mr Bitcheno said.
Dealing With Disputes
Public information session
With Queenstown Lawyer Dale Lloyd
Friday 21st March at St Johns, Douglas St., Frankton
starting at 10am
Everyone is welcome to attend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAB Queenstown Chairman Jon Bitcheno thanks chef Jenny Stewart for her cooking demonstration and delicious tasting session.
Learning how to make tasty Christmas treats has helped CAB Queenstown raise almost $3000.
A fundraising/social evening with cordon bleu chef Jenny Stewart was held recently for CAB Queenstown volunteers.
A range of local businesses and individuals also came to the party, donating items and services for a silent auction which caused furious bidding and helped raise funds to be used for CAB running costs.
Organiser and CAB volunteer Justine Cranfield said she was thrilled with both the turn out and amount raised.
“Jenny was very generous sharing her time and expertise and I think there will be many households in the Wakatipu dishing up Jenny’s tasty treats this Christmas. We would also like to say a big thank you to the local businesses and individuals who donated all sorts of items for our silent auction which has helped hugely with our fundraising for 2014.”