Volunteers' Week!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Kate Bennett, Manager of Citizens Advice Wyre Forest, is promoting volunteering during Volunteers Week (1 - 12 June 2016).  There will also be an event on 14th June to thank the many volunteers who have given their time at the local charity over the last 12 months.

 

On average, volunteers donate £112 per hour worth of time to Citizens Advice Wyre Forest. Volunteers at the local bureau have donated at least £50, 400 worth of their time in the five months of this year.

 

Citizens Advice volunteers support people over the phone, face-to-

face and online through email and, more recently, webchat. Over the last 12 months they helped local people with thousands of issues, by:

  • Dealing with debt, designing payment plans and negotiating with lenders

  • Improving people’s financial skills, for example by finding ways to cut fuel bills

  • Standing up for people’s rights at work if they believe they have been bullied or unfairly dismissed

  • Helping people claim their entitlements like sick pay and maternity pay

Volunteers also give their time in areas like IT, fundraising and administration. Special skills and experience are not necessary as all training is provided for free.

 

One volunteer who has been with Wyre Forest for over 2 years joined Citizens Advice because she felt it was worthwhile cause and wanted to help people and learn new skills.  

 

She feels that she benefits from volunteering by learning a lot and having a wider knowledge base than she used to. It is also a satisfying role – even to help in a small way, and it can be the small things that make a big difference.  She says “Citizens Advice is such a varied environment which makes it such an interesting and rewarding place to volunteer. As a volunteer you feel valued and they are very welcoming”.

 

Kate is encouraging local people in Wyre Forest to get in touch about volunteering opportunities.

“Citizens Advice volunteers change lives. It is thanks to the generosity of our volunteers that Citizens Advice is able to help people take control of their finances, claim entitlements like sick pay and protect their rights at work. There are many opportunities to volunteer at Citizens Advice and new volunteers are always welcome.”

Twenty one thousand volunteers gave up their time across the Citizens Advice network last year.  The national charity estimates its volunteers donate over £100 million worth of time each year across England and Wales. By working out how much it would cost for paid employees to do their work Citizens Advice is able to estimate the value of hours donated by volunteers.

 

People interested in volunteering at their local Citizens Advice can visit http://www.wyreforestcab.org.uk/volunteering or our office at New Road, Kidderminster.

For more information contact:

Tel: 03 444 111 444

Email: info@wyreforestcab.cabnet.org.uk