East Renfrewshire Citizens Advice manager looks back

Teresa O’Hara, who oversees the day-to-day running of the organisation, joined back in 1999 when it was Barrhead and District CAB and everything was on "a much smaller scale".

Over time, however, the organisation, which provides, free, confidential, impartial and independent advice, has grown and expanded.

An essential part of the community, it helps an increasing number of people with an increasingly complex array of issues.

East Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau Manager Teresa O'Hara (Image: Sourced) The 55-year-old told the Barrhead News: “Twenty-five years has come around so quickly.

"When I was on maternity leave with my daughter I saw the job advertised and it was just a part-time job at the time.

“When I first started, it was more straightforward things like consumer issues and employment (issues) that we dealt with, but nowadays nobody comes with just one issue.

“You've got people who are out working who can't afford to live, so we are now involved in a lot of different things we weren’t before.

“We’ve also got a housing project to prevent homelessness and our advisor deals with issues like huge mortgage arrears and things like that that are about keeping people in their homes, so nothing is straightforward, but it's just such a rewarding job to do.

"Somebody will come in and see somebody and then they'll come back in and say I slept last night for the first time."

East Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau Manager Teresa O'Hara (Image: Sourced) While the issues have grown, so too has the number of people involved with the organisation.

Currently based in Barrhead Main Street, CAB also runs various outreach services in the area including at Include Me 2 Club in Main Street and at Dunterlie Resource Centre.

When Teresa first started there was one paid member of staff in one unit in Barrhead and eight volunteers.

The office was also only open 15 hours a week and now they are open every day from Monday to Friday.

The service has expanded twice and now covers the whole of East Renfrewshire with 20 members of staff and 18 volunteers.

With this, the expectation on the service and their ability to make a difference has also grown.

“I’m accountable to a board of directors which is made up of people from different paths and walks of lives and experiences,” she explained.

“They are obviously very supportive to me and all of the work we do.

"It’s not a numbers game but what is really important is what we bring into the local authority area.

“Last year, for example, our client gains were over £6 million pounds. That’s money we’ve got for people on benefits that they didn’t know they were entitled to or through employment tribunals or reprofiling debts.

"It is also money that will be spent again in the local authority area.

“We do get a lot of funding and we are supported by the local authority, but our client gain represents a £14 return for every pound that’s invested.”

East Renfrewshire Citizen Advice Bureau manager Teresa O'Hara and Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur last year (Image: Sourced) In the last year alone, East Renfrewshire CAB has also brought in £400,000 of funding which has allowed them to run special projects, like the older people’s project.

This currently works to encourage and support those aged 65 and over within the local authority to claim benefits that they may be entitled to.

“With the winter fuel payment issue going on, it’s really important that they know what they are entitled to and get the benefits they are due,” explained Teresa.

“That project has brought in over a million pounds in the last year."

The bureau has also introduced a new project called SPACE (Supporting Children and Parents in East Renfrewshire).

This is dedicated to helping families, who have children or young adults with additional support needs, to access the benefits and support they are entitled to.

“Our team of staff are so dedicated," she said. 

"They just go above and beyond at helping people.”

Making a difference is all the more special to Teresa as it is the community where she lives. 

She grew up in Neilston and attended St Thomas’ Primary and St Luke’s High School, before moving to Barrhead 32 years ago when she married her husband Gerard.

She also raised her children Mark, a professional footballer and the captain of St Mirren, and Chloe, a newly qualified solicitor, in the town.

Both attended St John’s Primary in Barrhead where she was the chair of the parent council before later becoming involved with the parent council at St Luke’s.

“When it's your own community where you live and work, you want to make it a better place for for everyone to live,” explained Teresa.

Mark, Teresa, Chloe and Gerard (Image: Sourced)

In terms of proud moments in the role, Teresa points to when she nominated their chairman of 30 years, the late William Dougray, known as Willie, for an honour and he received an MBE for his services to the bureau and East Renfrewshire.

Willie Dougray MBE (Image: Sourced) Another proud moment took place this year when East Renfrewshire provost Mary Montague nominated Teresa to attend the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood to mark her 25 years of working in the community.

Teresa with husband Gerard at the royal garden party (Image: Sourced) The CAB team also recently celebrated their manager's long and continuing service in style by decorating the office, putting banners up in Main Street and having people come in to offer their congratulations.

“I was really overwhelmed with the special celebrations they gave me,” she said.

“They also got me a special book with lovely messages from people like the leader of the council.

"The next night I just thought I was going out for dinner with my husband up at the golf club and then when we walked in as a surprise there were 40-odd people there. It was really lovely."

Teresa O'Hara (Image: Sourced) “I do enjoy my job. It's very different from the one I started 25 years ago, and obviously there is a lot of pressure and it can be challenging, but as I say it’s so rewarding and that's why I've stuck with it,” added Teresa.