Příbram was one of the founding members of the Debt Advice Consortium

Příbram was one of the founding members of the Debt Advice Consortium. In this area, the town serves as a model and source of inspiration for other towns and municipalities

For many years now, the Centre for Social and Health Services has been home to a social advice centre, which also includes a debt advice service. It was the Příbram advice centre that, a year ago, helped establish the Czech Debt Advice Consortium. 

The Consortium of Debt Advice Centres is a network of high-quality organisations specially selected for their ability to provide a high standard of professional debt advice. It brings together experts, non-profit organisations and state institutions to improve conditions for people in the Czech Republic who are heavily in debt. The consortium’s aim is to provide expert and free advice to those in debt, to improve the quality of debt counselling, to advocate for legislative changes towards a fairer debt relief system, and to protect people in debt from fraudsters. 

One of the consortium’s founding members is Příbram itself, which is highly regarded in the field of social and debt policy. “Our debt advice centre in Příbram has made enormous progress, and I am delighted that it was involved in the establishment of the consortium, which serves as a platform for sharing information with other advice centres and institutions. I am pleased that Příbram has something to offer other towns in this area. I would like to thank Ms Jana Benová, head of the social advice centre, for her professional approach to tackling debt issues,” says Mayor Jan Konvalinka. 

Representatives of the Consortium of Debt Advice Centres met this week in Příbram with the town’s leadership, the Centre for Social and Health Services, and a representative of the Příbram social and debt advice centre. The aim of the meeting was to open a discussion on further cooperation and the expansion of the network of regional partners.

“We need to talk more about the support available from social and debt advice centres and make it available to a wider section of the population. There are still places where such advice centres do not operate, and for citizens in debt, the only option for help, from their perspective, is so-called ‘scammers’ who profit from their helplessness. Fortunately, these services are available in Příbram and, thanks to the consortium and the institutions involved, are spreading to other towns as well,” adds Jan Konvalinka. 

The Debt Advice Consortium currently has twelve members – organisations that cooperate, share insights from different regions, and jointly address legislative procedures when assisting those in debt.

“Our aim is to build the widest possible network of high-quality and accessible debt counselling, which is not possible without the involvement of local authorities. That is precisely why we are delighted with the outcome of the meeting at Příbram Town Hall – we hope that this collaboration will help to better link up local services and motivate people in debt to resolve their situation,” says Markéta Chkheidze, manager of the Czech Debt Advice Consortium. 

The Příbram Social and Debt Advice Centre is located at: Náměstí T. G. Masaryka 1, Příbram I. Tel. 318 498 281, 778 751 174, email: poradna@centrumpribram.cz. 

Czech Debt Advice Consortium: tel. 602 325 029, email: lucie@storyhunters.cz. 

What membership of the consortium means for the Příbram Social Advice Centre

Verified quality and trust for clients

• The Consortium brings together only vetted organisations that provide professional and free debt counselling and adhere to ethical standards.
• Clients can therefore be more confident that the advice is high-quality, transparent and non-commercial.

Stronger professional support for advisers

• The advice centre can draw on methodological support and free legal advice in more complex cases, which enhances the quality of its services.
• There is a sharing of experience and know-how amongst regional advisers.

Better representation and influence on systemic change

• Membership gives the advice centre the opportunity to contribute to a collective voice on debt counselling issues, including advocacy for a better legislative environment.
• The consortium works with authorities, ministries and other institutions, which may lead to better conditions for debtors in the long term.

Greater accessibility for clients

• By connecting members with the consortium’s initiatives – such as the central debt advice directory, helpline or information campaigns – people can find verified help more easily.

Enhancing public credibility

• By joining the national network, the advice centre is better positioned to establish itself as a trustworthy and professional service in the field of social and debt counselling.
   

Eva Švehlová, DiS.
, spokesperson
for eva.svehlova@pribram.eu
, Town of Příbram, Tyršova 108, 261 19, Příbram I
Tel.: 318 402 240
Mobile: 778 533 946 

Official Facebook page of the town of Příbram: https://www.facebook.com/mestskyuradpribram 

Published: 27. February 2026

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