High demand means CAB needs more volunteers than ever

During a time of continued economic uncertainty and cuts to public services, the value placed on volunteering is higher than ever. During National Volunteers Week (1-7 June 2011) CAB is calling on people from all backgrounds with different skills to get in touch.

The Citizens Advice service relies heavily on the generous contribution of volunteers who make up 50 per cent of the total workforce, and this year CAB needs even more volunteers than ever. Last year the service saw a significant increase in demand.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles: to train as advisers, to campaign on social policy issues, to work as receptionists - right through to sitting on the trustee board. Opportunities are flexible, depending on the amount of time people want to commit. Some volunteers help out for a short period while others have supported Citizens Advice for many years. In 2009/10 a strong core of 10 per cent of Citizens Advice volunteers had dedicated between ten and twenty years of service.

Volunteering experience is also a very valuable way to enhance skills, to find out more about the volunteering opportunities we can offer, click on volunteer with us to find out more. Citizens Advice aims to recruit volunteers from diverse backgrounds and all age groups.
Volunteers Week is co-ordinated in Volunteer Now and is an opportunity for organisations to publicly recognise the work of their volunteers. This year is also the European Year of Volunteering 2011. In the UK over 40 per cent of adults volunteer, this is much higher than the European average of 20 per cent.