The local charity, Wiltshire Citizens Advice has won a top award at this year’s Citizens Advice annual conference. Against competition from local Citizens Advice branches across the country, Wiltshire Citizens Advice won the ‘Stand up for Equality’ award.
Last year, Citizens Advice Wiltshire saw a ten per cent increase in the number of people seeking help for problems brought about by incidents of discrimination, particularly in relation to race, pregnancy and disability.
With the issue clearly on the rise, but accounting for less than one per cent of all enquiries, Wiltshire Citizens Advice were concerned that instances of discrimination were going unchallenged.
One of the charity’s trainers, Victoria Griffith, devised and delivered training to front line workers from different organisations to help them identify when someone may have been treated unfairly and advise people how to challenge discrimination.
Victoria Griffith explained: “Our clients do not always realise discrimination has taken place and it can be easily missed when urgent issues, such as loss of benefits or dismissal need to be resolved. I am very proud that our efforts in tackling this issue locally have been recognised at national level.”
Challenging discrimination is one of the principles of the Citizens Advice service and their chief executive, Gillian Guy, commented: “Spotting and stopping discrimination can be a challenge. Wiltshire Citizens Advice’s work to champion people’s rights is a shining example of what a local service can achieve, and its Stand up for Equality award is thoroughly deserved.”