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Future of advice charity secure with new home

Clare Wordenin King's Lynn
Clare Worden/BBC A man sits next to two black computer screens. He has short grey hair and wears black glasses. He wears a light blue patterned shirt and jeans. Clare Worden/BBC
Stuart Dark from Norfolk Citizens Advice said the new space would let them help more people

Staff at a charity say its new home in a shared hub with a favourable financial rate will allow them to concentrate on delivering services.

Norfolk Citizens Advice (NCA) has moved to the former St James GP surgery in King's Lynn after it was purchased by local businesspeople and philanthropists David and Lisa Flux.

Stuart Dark from NCA said the charity had been offered reduced rents and long tenancies to offer them security at the hub, called Connections at St James.

The charity's director of partnerships and philanthropy said: "That means that we can concentrate on service delivery, as opposed to what quite often happens in the charity world - actually thinking where do we go next."

Clare Worden/BBC External view of Connections at St James. It is a two storey brick building with a large white windowed entrance. There is a sign saying "Connections" and an arrow pointing to the door. Clare Worden/BBC
The former St James GP surgery has been transformed into a hub for charities

The King's Lynn branch of NCA has relocated from the Hanse House which dates back to the 15th Century.

Across Norfolk, the group helped 18,513 people with issues including urgent debt concerns, benefits and housing.

Dark said the charity now had four accessible, private consultation rooms as well as office space and a reception in the new building.

He said they had been offered the space at well below market rate on a five-year lease.

"It gives us the opportunity to be in a building that works for us and a building that actually we have got stable funding for, for the next five years at least," he added.

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Connections at St James was refurbished and opened as a multi-use space for charities in May, with NCA opening there on Monday.

David Flux is senior partner at Adrian Flux Insurance Group, which has its headquarters in nearby East Winch.

He served as high sheriff of Norfolk in 2024/25 and said it was this experience which led him to want to help support charities with accommodation costs.

"Each organisation shared a heartfelt story, with passion and purpose, about the support they provide to vulnerable residents," he explained.

"When I asked what their one wish would be, the answer was clear: a place to call home that was affordable.

"By offering charities a peppercorn rent and modest service charge, we give them the flexibility to direct more of their budgets where it matters most."

The Fluxs founded The Hadleigh Charity in order to run the building.

The BBC understands it was sold to the charity for £750,000 with additional investment being made to refurbish it.

Clare Worden/BBC A woman stands behind a reception desk. She is wearing a patterned brown top. She has grey bobbed hair. She is wearing a blue lanyard which has her name on it. On the reception desk is a sign welcoming people and behind it are some flowers. Clare Worden/BBC
Receptionist Mary Scales said the location between the bus and train station would help them cover the whole of West Norfolk

Receptionist Mary Scales said the team had worked hard to make Connections at St James feel welcoming.

"Money's tight everywhere and charities don't have lots of money to spend on premises and estates and things like that," she said.

"This is a classic example of when we all come together under one roof, you can create something amazing."

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