New Citizens Advice Bureau with Urdu service launched in West Watford (From Watford Observer)
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New Citizens Advice Bureau with Urdu service launched in Westfield Children's Centre in West Watford
11:30am Saturday 22nd September 2012 in News
A new residents’ advice service has launched in West Watford that can cater for Urdu speakers.
Watford's Citizens Advice Bureau started its new outreach service in the Westfield Children's Centre, in Croxley View, this week.
The new service has secured funding for the year with a £30,000 grant from Watford Borough Council.
Caron Williams, the Watford bureau manager’s, said: "We realise that it is not always easy for residents to make an appointment to see an advisor at our main office, which is located at the Advice Centre, St. Mary’s Churchyard in central Watford.
"The new centre will be able to provide help and advice for families and individuals on a range of issues, such as benefits, debts, housing, employment and discrimination.
"It will be staffed by an Urdu speaking member of our staff, Umbreen Azhar."
Comments(26)
Hornets number 12 fan
says...
12:49pm Sat 22 Sep 12
stuegs
says...
1:12pm Sat 22 Sep 12
I think the council get a tick in the right box by providing additional services for ethnic minorities. Positive discrimination in my book.
Reg Edit
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1:16pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Nascot
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1:36pm Sat 22 Sep 12
crazyfrog
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1:39pm Sat 22 Sep 12
stuegs
says...
1:53pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Reg Edit
says...
2:18pm Sat 22 Sep 12
crazyfrog wrote:How can they get to their embassy if they cannot even make it into the centre of Watford, 1.5 miles according to Nascot? I have walked that route many times, it's no effort at all.
if i went to a different country and could not speak the native language and i needed advice i would go to the British Embassy, if i moved to a country that spoke a different language i would take the opportunity to learn that new language i would not expect another countries Taxpayers to pay for my lack of integration !
I can only think dotty is after the Urdu vote in Watford, because there can be no other justification for it.
Dotty, stop using our taxes to curry favour with ethnic groups. It's immoral.
Reg Edit
says...
2:20pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Nascot wrote:Don't expect an English-language CAB in Nascot any time soon. Dotty's not trying to woo you.
Google Maps says it is 1.5 miles to walk (29 minutes) which is almost exactly the same distance from where I live to the existing office. You do have to question why
LSC
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2:35pm Sat 22 Sep 12
'Here is the address of the nearest English language course'
That should cover it.
Hornets number 12 fan
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2:47pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Sara
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4:07pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Unfortunately the course I found her was too advanced as a starting point and other agencies refused to help her, as she does not have a work permit at present (she is not currently seeking work and her husband is in employment).
It seems short sighted not to provide more English courses for those keen to learn.
Reg Edit
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4:45pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Sara wrote:Sara,
Sadly there are not enough English courses for adults who want to learn. I did some voluntary work with a south Asian lady (not an Urdu speaker BTW) who desperately wanted to learn to read and write English to help her children, but was unable to find a suitable course.
Unfortunately the course I found her was too advanced as a starting point and other agencies refused to help her, as she does not have a work permit at present (she is not currently seeking work and her husband is in employment).
It seems short sighted not to provide more English courses for those keen to learn.
kind words regarding that lady but I think you missed the point altogether.
Do you think this is a good use of council tax money?
If so, why?
It is clear electioneering at our expense in favour of the Liberal party.
Also, what about that liar Clegg and his wealth taxes. Do you agree with them? There is clearly too much tax in the system already, we just need to teach you all how to spend it properly! Currently this liberal council is showing it really has no idea, with one dotty scheme after another!
LSC
says...
5:03pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Sara wrote:I agree. I would have no problem in my taxes subsidising (but not fully funding) English language courses.
Sadly there are not enough English courses for adults who want to learn. I did some voluntary work with a south Asian lady (not an Urdu speaker BTW) who desperately wanted to learn to read and write English to help her children, but was unable to find a suitable course.
Unfortunately the course I found her was too advanced as a starting point and other agencies refused to help her, as she does not have a work permit at present (she is not currently seeking work and her husband is in employment).
It seems short sighted not to provide more English courses for those keen to learn.
But instead we try to make life easier for those not interested in learning it.
If such people find they can survive here without having to learn English, and I have no desire to learn Urdu, how are we ever going to integrate?
The inevitable result will be small communities cut off and turning into ghettos.
History proves that is not healthy.
gusgreen
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6:36pm Sat 22 Sep 12
Maybe if they made an effort,learn to walk 10 mins into the town centre the response to this would not be so angry.
WBC obviously have way too much money if they can find £30k for this group!
Reg Edit
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3:18pm Sun 23 Sep 12
It's disgraceful.
Dotty is a disgrace.
Mike Watford
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9:30am Mon 24 Sep 12
This report just says that CAN also cater for Urdu speakers.
What's wrong with that?!
It just means the person or people working there are multi-lingual.
Hornets number 12 fan
says...
9:41am Mon 24 Sep 12
Mike Watford wrote:You've missed the point totally! The point is that West Watford is not that far away from the Central Watford CAB and this grant for URDU speakers to have their own drop in center is not fair one little bit. It may not say this in the report but you can bet that this was the main objective of the grant.
Just looked at CAB. It's a CAB service for everyone.
This report just says that CAN also cater for Urdu speakers.
What's wrong with that?!
It just means the person or people working there are multi-lingual.
UKIPWatford
says...
10:03am Mon 24 Sep 12
1. to learn to speak the English language. as they are living in England
2. to learn how to walk at least 1.5 miles a day to keep healthy and not die of overweight or Diabetes
garston tony
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2:26pm Mon 24 Sep 12
I'm assuming that they will know how many people seek their assistance from the different parts of the town and identified that an office in West Watford would be viable and relieve pressure from the central office making it a win win situation as there will be more appointments available combined.
The article does not say either that this new office is for Urdu speakers only so no band wagon to jump on there either. However I would agree that people who come to live in this country should learn the language and I think its unnaceptable that people that have lived here decades cant speak English. I would expect within a year of moving here people should be able to get by quite well and be fairly fluent within a few years. And sorry but you don’t need to go on a course to do this, you need to get out and about and learn day to day as you do your shopping etc.
rew001
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2:38pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Hornets number 12 fan
says...
10:31pm Mon 24 Sep 12
rew001 wrote:What should happen is they should be saving the WHOLE 70k then not just £40k!
I understand this is actually a major saving for the council. It replaces a 70K grant that was given to a muslim only organisation in West Watford and will serve everybody in the area.
garston tony
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8:39am Tue 25 Sep 12
Reg Edit
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12:37pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Of course, the maths doesn't add up, the council should not be spending our taxes pandering to any Watford community. It's plain wrong and not what the whole of Watford pay their taxes for.
Anyone who cannot see how blatantly wrong this is needs their head testing.
The council should be ashamed, although it showed long ago that they have no sense of shame.
Will the council now be opening an English-speaking one on the Cassiobury, to relieve the pressure on the town centre one which is so far away?
If the council will not treat all its people fairly and spend our taxes wisely, they should resign as incompetent councillors.
rew001
says...
4:14pm Tue 25 Sep 12
garston tony
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8:16am Wed 26 Sep 12
You also seemed to have failed to also get the point that opening up this office will be freeing up a lot of apppointments in the central office which again will benefit EVERY part of the community.
I don’t agree with people living in this country and not making any effort to learn the language, that should be a basic stipulation/requirem
ent, however reality is what it is so if there was a significant number of people who used to get assistance via the Muslim centre (grant £70k) and the funding has been moved to the CAB (grant £30k) then its not liberalism but mathematics that shows a saving of£40k for the same apparent outcome.
Reg Edit says...
11:56am Sat 22 Sep 12
CAB is a great organisation worthy of our support, I just want to make sure that all the people of Watford are treated fairly and equally, particularly where council spending is concerned.
In particular, I don't understand how it is more difficult for urdu speakers from West Watford to get in to the centre of watford than for anyone else. If anything West Watford is just walking distance of the town centre and closer than many other parts of Watford. That hardly seems any justification at all to open a CAB.
I'm all for supporting the CAB, and for equal treatment for all the people of Watford. That's why a CAB singling out one racial group troubles me somewhat, particularly when we all pay for it through our taxes.
Nascot, got on your horse, the council are spending more money on this than they spent picking up that fag butt you wanted to get money for. Come on, priorities! Are you with me on this Nascot?