29 Oct 2026
North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre’s Advice Bus is helping people in dispersed rural communities access vital advice and support, wherever they live.
For people living in rural communities, accessing advice and support can be challenging. Long distances, limited transport options and the cost of travelling can make it difficult to reach services, particularly for people already facing financial hardship or isolation.
North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre (NYCALC) is tackling these barriers through its Rural Reach Information and Advice Bus, bringing support directly into communities across Hambleton and Richmondshire.
During its first year, the Advice Bus supported 1,395 people through 94 scheduled outreach sessions, visiting 10 towns and villages, including Hawes, Leyburn, Bedale, Thirsk and Catterick Garrison. By taking advice into familiar, accessible community locations, the service helps people get support without having to make a separate journey to an advice office.
The team provides information and guidance on a wide range of issues, including benefits, housing, consumer problems and the cost of living. Where more specialist help is needed, advisers arrange follow-up support or connect people directly with partner organisations.
One of the service’s strengths is its collaborative approach. The Advice Bus regularly works alongside organisations including mental health services, domestic abuse support, carers’ organisations, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and NYCALC’s own Warm and Well and Energy Champion teams. This joined-up approach helps people access a wider range of support in one place, particularly when they are dealing with several challenges at once.
The difference this can make is illustrated by the experience of one visitor, Daniel*.
Daniel approached the Advice Bus on behalf of his wife, who believed she might be entitled to a pension from her former employment as a Civil Service caterer. She was unsure where to start. The team directed Daniel to the Civil Service Pensions website, giving him the information he needed to take the matter forward himself. When the bus returned the following month, Daniel came back to share the good news: his wife was entitled to a pension and was already making a claim.
Feedback from clients also highlights the value of bringing services into local communities. One visitor explained that reaching an advice office would mean taking two buses, making the local outreach session much more accessible.
Alongside direct advice, NYCALC is building longer-term support within rural communities by training volunteers to recognise people’s needs, provide initial information and signpost them to appropriate services. Seven volunteers were recruited during the first year to help deliver advice in rural locations.
As financial pressures continue to affect rural households, NYCALC’s Advice Bus demonstrates how taking services closer to people, working in partnership and building local capacity can help ensure that where someone lives does not prevent them from accessing the support they need.
The Rural Reach Information and Advice Bus is made possible thanks to National Lottery players and funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
