At Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton, we exist to shape a society where people face fewer problems, and where fewer people reach crisis. We believe no one should be left behind due to a lack of quality, trusted information, and we deliver the accessible advice people need to move from uncertainty to confidence, choice, and lasting independence.
We recognise that our capacity to deliver our strategic objectives is directly tied to the strength and authenticity of our internal culture. To ensure our strategic vision is supported by operational behaviours, we undertook a deliberate, bottom-up co-design initiative over a 6-month period, supported by external facilitation from Connected Consultants. By prioritising co-design from the ground up, we ensured genuine buy-in, fostered psychological safety, and reflected the lived experience of our workforce across every level of the organisation.
Aligning Our Mission and Core Values
As a local service, our work directly aligns with the national Citizens Advice missions:
- Provide advice fit for the future: Being there for people when they need us most—such as navigating cost-of-living pressures, maximising income, and supporting individuals who are most vulnerable or locked out of the welfare system.
- Close the gap: Ending disparities in access and experience for marginalised people through proactive partnership working and community engagement.
- Take early action: Preventing more people from reaching crisis by addressing problems earlier.
To govern how we operate, make decisions, and engage with stakeholders, our comprehensive co-design process established the following five core values:
Guiding Our 2026–2030 Strategic Pillars
Defining our values was only the first phase; driving strategic impact requires connecting them directly to our long-term roadmap. Our culture and values serve as the engine for our newly defined 2026–2030 Strategic Pillars:
From Aspirational Statements to Everyday Action
By building our values, behavioural commitments, and strategic pillars from the ground up, we have created an integrated framework where our vision directly informs daily decisions, onboarding, performance management, and service delivery.
We are immensely proud of the process we have undertaken over the past six months. Together, as “The People’s Champion,” we are equipped with the culture, strategy, and foundation needed to make a lasting difference across Bury, Bolton and our regional services.