Volunteers needed for CAB

As this is Volunteers Week (June 1-7) Citizens Advice Bureau is calling on people of all ages and background to join up.

The organisation is a charity which helps people resolve legal, financial and other problems by providing free information and advice.

Many of us are not aware that most people working in Citizens Advice Bureaux are, in fact, volunteers.

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In the last year over 20,000 volunteers gave the Citizens Advice service a massive 121,743 hours a week of their time, ensuring that, on average, 5.5 million problems are dealt with a year.

Everyone from young school leavers, to retired CEO's, to back-to-work Mums are encouraged to get in touch with their local Citizens Advice bureau if they are interested in volunteering. Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles: to train as advisers, work as receptionists, to help out with marketing, finance and campaigning - right through to sitting on the trustee board.

The benefits of volunteering are vast and include the opportunity to acquire new skills alongside giving something back to the community. Volunteering with CAB could you get your first job after school, help you return to work confidently after an absence, or fill your day once retired. It's also great for your health - over 60% of volunteers in a recent survey said it made them less stressed. (2004, ICM Research findings commissioned for CSV (Community Service Volunteers) and Barclays.) Plus, if you train as an adviser you could gain an NVQ level qualification.

Beth Taylor, volunteer specialist at Citizens Advice says: "It's essential that our volunteers reflect the diverse backgrounds of the communities in which they work. So no matter who you are, as long as you're interested in volunteering, we would love to hear from you. Pop into your local branch, or call 08451 264264 (local rate) to find out more."

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Over 28 million people are involved in volunteering in the UK every year and Volunteers Week is an opportunity for organisations to publicly recognise the work of their volunteers. It also aims to raise the awareness of the benefits of giving time, inspiring a new generation of volunteers. Volunteers' Week is co-ordinated in England by Volunteering England