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There are a number of benefits to volunteering. Filling your time with something meaningful that helps others can bring a great sense of purpose and fulfillment to our lives.
Citizens Advice helps thousands of people everyday across England and Wales to solve issues on everything from the cost of living and benefits, to debt and housing. With over 17,000 volunteers supporting them to deliver services across their network of charities, there are plenty of opportunities to help out at Citizens Advice.
With this in mind, here’s everything you need to know about volunteering with Citizens Advice; including the type of roles available and the difference that getting involved could make, not only to others but to your own life too.
What does Citizens Advice do?
Citizens Advice is a network of independent charities across England and Wales offering free advice online, over the phone, and in person, on issues relating to money and debt, consumer rights, work, benefits, and more. Citizens Advice also supports witnesses in court through the Witness Service and gives pension guidance to people aged over 50.
Citizens Advice helps millions of people each year. In fact, between 2021 and 2022, a total of 2.55 million people received one-to-one advice, and the Citizens Advice website received over 58 million views.
Because they help so many people with so many different kinds of problems, that gives them a unique insight into the challenges people are facing today. With that evidence, they show organisations and government how they can make things better for people.
As a result of this work, Citizens Advice saves society a significant amount of money each year. From 2021 to 2022, Citizens Advice saved the government and public services £717 million – and it’s estimated that their value to society is £4.6 billion a year.
What does volunteering for Citizens Advice involve?
Volunteering for Citizens Advice generally involves helping people across England and Wales. However, with so many different ways to get involved, what this looks like in practice will vary from role to role.
For example, you could welcome clients face to face and answer phone calls on the admin and customer service teams; give information and advice to clients, help organise local events to promote or fundraise for the service; or contribute to the research and campaigning teams by carrying out client surveys, identifying social trends, and organising campaigns to bring about change.
Volunteering typically takes place at your local Citizens Advice office, though many local offices also support those who want to do their role either partly or completely, from home. There’s also no minimum time commitment required to volunteer for Citizens Advice, but certain roles will naturally require more time than others.
Other roles available at Citizens Advice include witness service volunteers (supporting witnesses appearing in court, both before the trial and on the day), and local Citizens Advice trustees (who help to guide and govern their local Citizens Advice).
This page on the Citizens Advice website offers a detailed guide on the different volunteer roles available and what they involve.
Alternatively, if you’re unsure what area of volunteering you’d like to get involved with, you might find it useful to take this short quiz on the Citizens Advice website. Based on information like your availability, skillset, what you find rewarding, and the kind of working environment you enjoy, this quiz will provide suggestions on what type of volunteer roles could be best suited to you.
What are the benefits of volunteering for Citizens Advice?
Research has identified a number of impressive physical and mental health benefits to volunteering.
For example, this study found that adults over 50 who volunteered on a regular basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure or suffer from heart disease and stroke. Meanwhile, the Mental Health Foundation has linked volunteering with a greater sense of purpose, as well as improvements in self-esteem and overall well-being.
Made up of over 17,000 volunteers, 8,650 staff members, and spread across approximately 2,500 locations throughout England and Wales; by becoming part of the Citizens Advice team, you could make a huge difference to so many people’s lives and have a positive impact on your community.
In 2021-2022, Citizens Advice helped to solve the problems of three in four (75%) people it directly advised.
Beyond this, no other organisation comes face to face with so many people experiencing so many different kinds of problems as Citizens Advice. This means that becoming a volunteer will offer a unique and valuable insight into the various challenges people are facing today.
Many volunteers find that this exposure brings a number of positives to their own lives. For example, developing skills such as problem-solving and communication skills, and broadening your personal knowledge on a range of important issues can be usefully applied to your own day-to-day life.
Volunteering as part of a team is also an exciting opportunity to meet new people from a range of different backgrounds and form new connections.
To hear more about what it’s like to volunteer for Citizens Advice, you might like to have a read of Liz’s story. Liz works as a Witness Service court volunteer and has found purpose, fulfillment, and confidence through her role.
What qualifications and experience do I need to volunteer for Citizens Advice?
Citizens Advice is passionate about inclusion and welcomes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, including people from ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities or mental health conditions. And due to the varied set of roles available, everyone can get involved in making a valuable contribution to society.
You can read about the experiences of some local Citizens Advice volunteers on this page of the Citizens Advice website. Stuart, who became a volunteer after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and David, who’s partially sighted, explain how they’ve found a great sense of achievement and purpose through their volunteering roles.
No prior specific qualifications or experience is needed to volunteer with Citizens Advice. However, different strengths and experiences may mean that some roles are naturally a better fit for you.
For example, good listening skills can be applied in volunteer roles on the advice-giving or client support teams, while having basic IT or written skills would be great for research or media-based roles.
Some volunteer roles, including trustees, may sometimes require a specific skill set – such as prior experience in law or advice services. However, this will always be outlined in the volunteer role description.
That being said, Citizens Advice provides an introduction and training to all their volunteers, as well as continued support and supervision from the team. For this reason, they maintain that being friendly, approachable, and respectful of views, values, and cultures is the most important thing.
Sarah, from the local Citizens Advice Chair of Trustees, says, “Don’t worry too much about being an expert in what Citizens Advice does. There are plenty of opportunities to learn. What you really need to bring is a willingness to listen, weigh up options, and be part of the decision-making process.”
How can I apply?
If you’d like to volunteer for Citizens Advice, there are a few ways you can register your interest.
Firstly, you may like to contact your local Citizens Advice directly. To find your local Citizens Advice, simply enter your postcode into this handy search tool on their website. Once you’ve completed a short form, your local office will be in touch to discuss volunteering opportunities with you.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to register your interest in particular areas of volunteering, you can use this tool. Once you’ve filled out the enquiry form, someone from your local Citizens Advice branch will contact you.
Final thoughts…
Citizens Advice offers a diverse range of volunteering opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. By contributing to an organisation with such a positive impact on society, you’ll be making a significant difference to the lives of others, and in your local community.
Whether you decide to volunteer your time to give advice, campaign, research, or support clients in difficult situations, the variety of different roles available at Citizens Advice means that there’s plenty of opportunities for everyone to give back in some way.
For more information on how to get involved, check out the volunteering section of the Citizens Advice website.
Alternatively, if it turns out that volunteering for Citizens Advice isn’t for you, why not explore other opportunities on the volunteering section of our website?
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