When Life Gives You Lemons

Meet Lorna and Charlotte - two of our advisers at Citizens Advice North Lancashire. Lorna and Charlotte are our Citizens Representatives - find out more about what the role entails, the people they can support, how they work in the community, and what they do to relax.

When Life Gives You Lemons: Know Your Rights as a Renter Renting can feel like a game where the landlord knows all the rules and you're still hunting for the instructions. Good news: the rulebook just changed, and it's tipped a lot more in your favour. The Renters' Rights Act came into effect in May, and in this episode we sit down with Sammy Cooper, our Housing Adviser at Citizens Adv...

This podcast short is part of our When Life Gives You Lemons series. It features our Advice Services Director Gully Trevena talking to our Research and Campaigns Lead Caroline Robertson about the Housing Crisis that we face in the UK. This was recorded before the Renters' Rights Act came into law. Citizens Advice North Lancashire is delighted that Section 21 'no-fault' evictions are go...

In this podcast short as part of our When Life Gives You Lemons series, we hear from our adviser Kara Cooper on her 2 year anniversary working at Citizens Advice North Lancashire! Kara talks about what she's learnt about Citizens Advice North Lancashire, what we do as a local charity, the people we help, and the importance of compassion, respect and treating one another with dignity at all tim...

When Life Gives You Lemons. Podcast Short: Understanding Foodbanks In this episode of When Life Gives You Lemons , Citizens Advice North Lancashire CEO Joanna Young sits down with Foodbank Adviser Anthony Beech to unpack: what actually is a foodbank? Anthony walks listeners through the basics - how foodbanks work, who they're there for, and the everyday circumstances that can lead someone to n...

The stuff school forgot to teach you. In this podcast short, Citizens Advice North Lancashire adviser Lucy Young breaks down the basics on money, debt and budgeting, no jargon, no judgement, just the practical lowdown every 16-25 year old needs but rarely gets taught. From surviving the cost of living crisis to building habits that actually stick, Lucy shares the real-world money know-how that sho...

We speak to two young people about growing up in Morecambe, their thoughts on the town, what they love about it and what could be improved.

For this episode we’re out and about! Why has Ian brought Joanna to the banks of the River Lune at Skerton to talk about the value of housing? The search for a stable, secure home is one of the fastest growing issues dealt with by Citizens Advice North Lancashire. Following benefits queries and issues linked to financial crisis, housing is third most common matter dealt with by volunteers who have...

Join Joanna and Rev Ian as they discuss the cost of living, budgeting, saving for the future and when life gives you lemons! When 1 in 6 people in the UK don't have any savings, now is the time to talk finances. Lots of us bury our heads in the sand, and with an ever changing economic landscape, whilst it may not be the most fun conversation to have, it's time to face our financial demons!...

How could changes to employment laws affect you and do you know your rights as they stand now? The world of work often results in queries for volunteers at North Lancashire Citizens Advice. Am I entitled to a break? Will I be paid during maternity leave? What if work is making me ill? These - and many more - are our bread and butter and among the topics discussed by Joanna and Ian in this podcast....

Episode 3. Joanna and Frank As well as co-hosting When Life Gives You Lemons as Chief Executive of Citizens Advice North Lancashire, Joanna Young is also a proud older sister. With ten studio albums to his credit and a reputation for constantly touring, punk-folk singer Frank Turner is her little brother! He’s written songs and spoken widely about mental health including his own challenges. He’s a...

Episode 2: Help Is Close Knowing how to find help when it comes to mental health and well being can be a challenge. In this edition of When Life Gives You Lemons hosts Joanna Young and the Rev Ian Dewar hear about Help Is Close, a Lancaster district-wide, mental health support campaign aimed at all ages. As well as organisations offering practical help it also lists groups who may help when it com...

Episode 1. Brew Monday Feeling down or having low mood doesn’t just happen on Mondays in January. Our mental health can be tested at any time during the year. In this edition of When Life Gives You Lemons hosts Joanna Young and the Rev Ian Dewar hear more about what mental health actually means. Gemma Wright, Practice Development Nurse and Professional Nurse Advocate for the Bay area, works for La...

Do you know your rights when it comes to the workplace?  How about sick pay, leave, maternity or paternity pay, zero-hour contracts, workplace bullying or harassment, and rubbish bosses? Joanna and Ian along with expert guests, discuss all this and more, to help make sure your working life is a happy one.

After this week’s Budget announcement, are you grappling to understand what the Chancellor’s decisions mean for you? There was a lot to take in and it will take time for the full implications to be seen. So, in this special episode of When Life Gives You Lemons, our chief executive Joanna Young is joined by Citizens Advice North Lancashire’s Research and Campaigns Lead Caroline Robertson to consid...

We have the Autumn Budget in October and there have already been changes announced about the Winter Fuel Payment and who qualifies to receive it. In this episode, visit the local Citizens Advice office in Morecambe and hear from those who work there, including the trained volunteers and expert advisers. They'll tell you what it's like to visit your local Citizens Advice branch and what sort of sup...

I know it doesn't sound like a laugh a minute - but this is important! Unfortunately, all of us will face this lemon at some point. Yet most of us feel blindsided when we get bad news and don't plan for the worst. Are you prepared for a serious, life-changing diagnosis? Have you thought about finances, income, even writing a will? It's not something we like to talk about, but it's important to pre...

Should I write a will? What is 'power of attorney'? Who will help me if I become ill?  For life advice, check out  When Life Gives You Lemon s , a podcast created for you whoever you are! Hosted by Joanna Young, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice North Lancashire and the Reverend Ian Dewar, Lead Chaplain for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, they'll guide...