page_title: Citizens Advice Edinburgh
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Citizens Advice Edinburgh / History
caption_attribution_description: English: a black and white image taken in 1979 from within the Portobello citizens advice bureau in 1939, showing two clients waiting to be seen by an adviser,
context_page_description: Citizens Advice Edinburgh, is a registered charity, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1939, Citizens Advice Edinburgh is a member of the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, and provides free, confidential, independent and impartial advice to Edinburgh residents.
  Citizens Advice Edinburgh operates from five main offices around Edinburgh, with the support of over 270 trained volunteers which comprise over 90% of the advisers, receptionists and administrators. CAE has offices in Leith, Dundas Street, Gorgie, Pilton and Portobello. In 2013/14 it assisted with over 27,000 enquiries and 43,000 issues
  Citizens Advice Edinburgh is a charity and a company limited by guarantee. It is run by a Board of volunteers with a wide range of charity, business, legal, media and financial experience. The board adheres to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations's good governance code.
context_section_description: Citizens Advice Edinburgh was one of the first Citizens Advice Bureaus established in the United Kingdom in the initial days of World War II in September 1939. Originally based in Charlotte Lane and Queen Street in Edinburgh, Citizens Advice Bureaus across the country were part of the domestic strategy to help the population during wartime. Bureaux were initially intended as a short term measure, but it was evident  when the war ended there were many more problems for the population as the government tackled re-housing, employment and re-deployment, training and education, and the introduction of welfare benefits.
  Although originally each of the five citizens advice bureaux in Edinburgh were independent registered charities, the decision was taken in 2007 to merge the governance of each into one larger charity in order to consolidate and maximise resources in Edinburgh.
caption: Portobello Bureau waiting room, 1979.
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