About Us

Our History

The national Citizens Advice movement, of which Bradford’s branch is a part, originated from the Betterton Report of 1924 calling for public advice centres. The first 200 bureaux opened on 4 September 1939, four days after the declaration of WWII. Bradford likely set up its local bureau around this time to support the community through war-related challenges.

In October 2002 we were officially incorporated as Bradford Citizens Advice Bureau and then in February 2009 we merged with Keighley Citizens Advice to become Bradford and Airedale Citizens Advice Bureau. Then in March 2016 we adopted the full title Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre Ltd after merging with the Law Centre.

This merger allowed us to combine general advice with legal aid, allowing both Citizens Advice services and legal representation from solicitors under one organisation.

The combined entity offers a wide range of services, including:

• Welfare, housing, debt, consumer and immigration advice (Citizens Advice).
• Legal aid in civil law areas such as housing disputes, immigration appeals and judicial reviews (Law Centre).

We are regulated under both Citizens Advice and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and hold immigration accreditation at adviser and caseworker levels. We operate as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity.

We continue to deliver free, confidential, and impartial advice and legal support – upholding the original ethos of Citizens Advice while expanding our reach through legal expertise.