Advice Week

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is an independent registered charity. Without the contribution of over 20,000 trained volunteers and financial support from trusts, lottery funds, companies and individuals, we could not continue to provide this vital service in local communities - helping people to solve problems before they become crises. On a daily basis advisers see just how important advice is and how 'Advice changes lives'.

Advice Week is part of the Working Together for Advice (WTfA) project funded by the Big Lottery and is dedicated to raising public awareness of the importance of advice. Our bureaux use the opportunity to promote the value of advice and the many ways to access it, as well as recruit volunteers and raise funds.

Advice Week 2009 will take place week commencing 12 October.

For Advice Week 2008 Citizens Advice worked with advice agencies Advice UK, Advice Services Alliance, Age Concern, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access to raise awareness of the importance of advice.

• www.youthaccess.org.uk

• www.ageconcern.org.uk

• www.lawcentres.org.uk

• www.asauk.org.uk

• www.adviceuk.org.uk

Can you help us?

• If your company is interested in providing national, regional or local support for Advice Week, please email Citizens Advice

Advice changes lives celebrity supporters

The following celebrities wouldn’t have got where they were today without some good advice, as they explain:

	Ioan Gruffudd, actor, Amazing Grace, Fantastic Four "During my time studying in London as a young 18 year old, there was a period during which I became quite disillusioned and depressed and I had started to question whether or not I truly wanted to be an actor. It was an incredibly intense course that required discipline and a strong personality to survive. At my darkest hour I sat my parents down and told them that I wanted to leave London and quit the training.It was at this time my father imparted one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given. He told me to persevere and stay the course until I had completed my training and if by that time I still wanted to quit acting I could do it then. He told me it was far better to have completed something and see it through to its conclusion, rather than quitting and not knowing the things I could have achieved and be forever regretful."
	Jeanette Winterson, writer "My best piece of advice is this - do it from the heart, or not at all. We live in a world dominated by numbers; ratings, audience figures, hits, friends on MySpace, how many, how fast, how often, and of course money money money. I believe that life is best lived by purpose, not money. To make something, to be something, to do something, because it is a passion, and because it is whole-hearted."
	John Bird, founder of the Big Issue "Take advice from those with experience, that's the best advice I can give."
	Piers Morgan, broadcaster "My advice: 'Never try and work with a hangover, get out of trouble as fast as you can, and always remember that one day you're the cock of the walk, the next you're a feather duster."

Mavis Cheek, author

"I think an abidingly useful piece of advice that came from a friend when I was wresting myself from a devastating relationship - was to look at what people do, not what they say - ie if a friend says they will be there for you always and then buggers off to Timbuktu and never writes or phones - consider your position. Or when your publisher says 'We really love this book' and then cuts you to the quick with a meagre offer or a lover says 'I love you' and then behaves like a rat - etc etc.So - check out the actions as well as the words."

Ken Russell, film director

"My advice is to listen to uplifting pieces of music when you feel down in the dumps. There is a popular piece I always find inspiring - guaranteed to cheer anyone up. It is optimistic and life-affirming and very get up and go. It is 'Something’s coming' from Leonard Bernstein’s 'West Side story'."