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MP David Laws visited Chard last week to launch a debt advice centre at the Forefront Community Church.

Mr Laws joined the Mayor of Chard, Cllr Martin Wale, and town councillors to discuss the growing issue of personal debt on Friday.

The Christian group, based on the site of a former bank on Fore Street, is working in partnership with national debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty to offer free advice and money management schemes for people struggling to balance their finances.

Mr Laws said: "This is a incredibly necessary service and something that means a huge difference to the quality of people's lives.

"It is a really important facility not only for Chard but for the whole of South Somerset."

He added: "The timing is, unfortunately, very appropriate because of the financial problems faced by the whole of UK at the moment.

"We've been through a period where credit is very easy to get and I'm often amazed at the amount of debt people take on.

"At the same time the services we should rely on for support are not there - with the closure of the Job Plus Centre in Chard for example."

Plans to launch the facility were given a massive boost in March when Forefront was granted £5,000 at the council-backed Opportunity Chard event.

Debt centre manager Janet Litton said: "We were ecstatic to win the funding - especially as it was voted for by the community.

"Debt is a huge problem in our society and CAP currently manages £37million worth of debt in the UK.

"All our services are totally free and we aim for our clients to be debt-free within five years."

Chard Mayor Cllr Martin Wale said: "It's great for the town that the service has become available, although it's sad that other agencies in the town are not there.

"The centre will be vital for Chard - especially in this current climate."

The CAP centre will be open from June 7 and is taking telephone bookings on 0800-328-0006.

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11:00am Monday 5th May 2008

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