An 'absolute star' who works in Morecambe to help local families and schools has been nominated for a national award.
Jeni Meadows, local schools adviser at Citizens Advice, was nominated for a National Citizens Advice award in the 'Outstanding Impact' category.
Jeni, who works at the Morecambe office on Queen Street, was nominated for the work she has done to support schools in the Lancaster and Morecambe District.
She works in partnership with Morecambe Bay Foodbank and 11 schools in the District (nine primary and two secondary) with the aim of providing advice to prevent foodbank use.
Jeni has worked with 77 families since this project began in April 2023 who had 265 different problems, and many who are worried about evictions, rising rents, landlord problems and disrepair.
She has also helped families access benefits, checked entitlements, and has assisted with appeals.
Whilst Jeni didn’t ultimately win the award, presented at the National Citzens Advice Conference last month, she was absolutely delighted to be nominated.
"Jeni is an absolute star," said Joanna Young, chief executive of Citizens Advice North Lancashire (pictured below).
"We know that the cost of living crisis is affecting families and she has shown the impact our work can have to help people find solutions to the problems they are facing.
"We are so grateful to the Trussell Trust Pathfinder Programme for generously funding this pilot, allowing Jeni to do this essential and important work."
Briony Scott, manager at Morecambe Bay Foodbank who has worked alongside Jeni in her role, said: "Working with Citizens Advice North Lancashire has shown that effective partnership working can bring real benefits to people in the area.
"The schools adviser project is a great example of this. Jeni's dedication to the families she works with, coupled with her compassion and determination, make her an ideal fit for this role and we are really pleased with how this project is developing."
At the end of the awards ceremony, Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert and champion of the work of Citizens Advice, made a surprise appearance with a video message (pictured below).
He praised all the staff and volunteers for their hard work during an incredibly tough year where the organisation has seen unprecedented demand from clients struggling to pay their bills.
Citizens Advice North Lancashire is a local independent charity that is a part of the National Citizens Advice Network. Advisers deal with a huge range of issues including domestic abuse, homelessness, evictions, employment problems, debt, benefit appeals, family problems and helping people experiencing financial crisis.
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