Volunteer Assistant
What will you do?
Complete an introduction to Citizens Advice
Help Citizens Advice volunteers with specific tasks
Some examples of what you could do:
Accompany an adviser when they are talking to clients and take notes
Help an adviser use a computer to find the information that they need to help a client with their problems
Type up a summary of the clients’ problems and what action the adviser has taken
Complete a benefits form, or draft a budget (income and spending), as directed by an adviser
Help volunteers with admin or reception tasks such as printing, scanning, filing, making appointments and being the first point of contact for clients
What’s in it for you?
Have a positive impact on someone else’s experience of volunteering with the local Citizens Advice
Meet people and build relationships with volunteers
Enable volunteers with support needs to carry out their role
Make a real difference to people’s lives in a short space of time
Gain insight into the work of Citizens Advice and learn about several key issues such as benefits and debt
Increase your employability
And we'll reimburse your expenses too
What do you need to have?
You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:
Be friendly and approachable
Be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
Have good listening skills
Have excellent verbal and written communication skills
Have good IT skills
Be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
Be willing to undertake training in your role
How much time do you need to give?
We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.
Valuing inclusion
Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from racially minoritised people/people of colour, disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer assistant and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please fill in an application form and we will contact you.
Mission Statement
We help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
We have a town centre location in Haydon Place, Guildford, offering a telephone, and appointment service five days a week.
We use the information we gather carrying out this work to campaign for social justice, so that individuals do not suffer through a lack of knowledge or an inability to express them selves effectively.
We provide an increasingly vital front-line service for those in the greatest need in our local community.
The benefits of our work are not limited to improving our clients’ financial situation but also contribute to improving their health, reducing their stress and improving their confidence in dealing with their own problems.