MONMOUTHSHIRE County Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), which is the new name for the amalgamation of Chepstow, Caldicot and Abergavenny Citizens Advice Bureaux, has appointed Shirley Lightbound as its' first chief executive officer.

Working in the CAB service since 1987, and locally based, Mrs Lightbound was previously manager of the Caldecot CAB.

Speaking on the appointment, Andrew Porter, Chair of the Monmouthshire CAB said: "I am delighted that we have been able to appoint such a strong candidate to this key strategic role. the CEO will be responsible for working with local and national organisations to expand the scope of the bureau's activities and attract new funding, as well as promoting the evidence that we gain from our advice work with local people to achieve improvements in services."

On her appointment, Mrs Lightbound herself commented: "I am excited to be taking on this new role as the CAB service in Monmouthshire begins a new chapter in its proud history. Both clients and funders alike are putting increasingly diverse and complex demands on advice providers such as the CAB, so we need to ensure that we are adapting to meet these needs. My goal is to expand and develop the bureau so that it can provide a wider range and greater access to services, while retaining its commitment to a strong client focus."