Crosby, Formby and District Citizens Advice Bureau

Volunteering with your local Citizens Advice Bureau

There are many rewarding volunteering opportunities available at your local CAB. You can register your interest in volunteering by clicking here.

Below are details of some of the rewarding roles undertaken by volunteers:

ADVISERS
Without our trained volunteer advisers we could not continue to meet the demands for advice. We offer a holistic generalist advice service and all advisers are given free formal and on the job training. You are supported every step of the way and all your expenses are paid. As a CAB adviser you could:
· interview clients
· help them negotiate with people such as creditors or service providers
· draft letters
· make telephone calls on behalf of clients
· refer them to other agencies
· represent them in court and at tribunals.

ADMINISTRATORS
As a CAB volunteer administrator you would ensure the smooth running of a bureau including:
· word processing
· file management
· arranging events
· using databases and spreadsheets
· answering emails and phone calls
· updating local information.

RECEPTIONISTS
You would be the public face of the Citizens Advice service, meeting clients on a daily basis:
· greet clients
· arrange appointments
· answer the telephone
· provide information on service to clients
· manage the waiting room
· keep records.

TRUSTEES
All Citizens Advice Bureaux are independent charities, governed by their own board of trustees, who are ultimately responsible for the quality and range of the service. Day-to-day control is delegated to the bureau manager, but Trustees:

· set the overall direction and support the development of the bureau
· ensure the bureau meets the needs of the local community and the Citizens Advice membership standards
· employ CAB staff and control bureau finances
· earn and retain the respect of important and influential people and organisations in the community, including funding bodies
· ensure the bureau complies with relevant laws.
Bureau trustee boards need people from all sections of the community with a wide range of different skills, experience and perspectives. Trustee boards tend to meet in the evenings, making this a flexible role, which trustees often fit around a full-time job. A full induction into the trustee board's role and responsibilities will be provided.

CAMPAIGNERS
By using evidence collected from the clients the bureau helps, you could help bring about changes in local and national policies and services which can benefit everyone, even those who have never used a CAB.
· complete and collate evidence forms recording clients problems
· identify and raise relevant issues in the bureau
· train staff and volunteers in identifying issues and completing evidence forms
· conduct research and write reports
· get involved in media campaigning
· liase with other bureaux and agencies.

IT SUPPORT CO-ORDINATORS
As a CAB IT co-ordinator you would help bureaux to use IT effectively to provide quality services to our clients. Citizens Connect our ambitious IT programme to introduce a virtual private network right across the service is a high priority for the service over the next few years and will help us to introduce an electronic case management system and provide access to e-government services for the public:
· supporting bureau workers including staff and volunteers
· troubleshooting
· web design
· training bureau workers in IT skills
· assisting with email advice.

PR AND MARKETING
Citizens Advice Bureaux need to raise their profile in their local community to attract funding, recruit volunteers, promote local and national CAB campaigns and to ensure that potential clients know how to access their services. As a PR/marketing volunteer you might:
· produce promotional materials to use locally
· tailor press releases issued by the national Citizens Advice press office to use locally
· build relationships with your local media outlets and "sell in" stories
· seek coverage for your bureau's work in local papers and on TV and radio
· identify case studies of clients or volunteers who would be willing to talk to the media
· write copy for your bureau website or newsletter if it has one
· be trained to be a local media spokesperson
· arrange events, displays and talks to promote the bureau
· identify opportunities for your bureau to get involved in our annual Advice Week or other national events such as Volunteers Week.

FUNDRAISERS
Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on money from local authorities, companies, charitable trusts and individuals. As a fundraiser you might:
· work with the bureau treasurer or other trustees to meet fundraising objectives
· help with researching fundraising opportunities
· organise fundraising events
· help complete fundraising applications
· put together presentations to give to potential funders
· provide support to the bureau fundraising group. For example, some bureaux have a Friends of CAB group.

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
Many bureaux run volunteer recruitment campaigns throughout the year either to help them expand their services or to replace volunteers who have left. Some bureaux have volunteers with a specific role to run these campaigns, others might include this in their general PR/marketing. In this role you might:
· produce local volunteer recruitment materials – leaflets and posters
· find case studies about current volunteers for your local newspapers
· organise stands or displays in local community venues
· give talks about CAB volunteering
· run open days for potential volunteers
· ensure the bureau website is updated with volunteering opportunities
· deal with volunteer enquiries forwarded from this website or from our national volunteer hotline.

PEER EDUCATION WORKER
Promote the CAB in schools, colleges and youth organisations
· give talks about a specific problem
· run an advice service for young people
· be an young people's advisor

Citizen's Advice Service Aims and principles

The Citizens Advice service aims
to provide the advice people need for the problems they face

and equally
to improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives.

We provide free , independent , confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity , promotes equality and challenges discrimination .

Sefton CAB is a Registered Charity No 1100450
Private Limited Co. No 4794809 incorporated in England and Wales

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